Second Pandemic Wave Of COVID-19:
Virtual Conference

Firstly, what is a second wave? You can think of it like waves on the sea. The number of infections goes up and then comes back down again - each cycle is one "wave" of coronavirus.

In infectious disease parlance, 'waves of infection' describe the curve of an outbreak, reflecting a rise and fall in the number of cases. With viral infections such as influenza or the common cold, cases typically crest in the cold winter months and recede as warmer weather reappears.

As many countries seem to be emerging from the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis, now is the time to plan for a possible second wave.

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on many businesses. According to the UK Office of National Statistics, almost a quarter (24 percent) of businesses worldwide have temporarily closed or paused trading since the start of the outbreak. Alongside that, falling stock prices, disrupted supply chains and a world in lockdown has left many of those still standing in significantly weakened positions where they are even more vulnerable to risk.

In anticipation of a second wave of the pandemic, or an unrelated crisis such as a cyber-attack, it is vital that businesses act now if they are to ensure their long-term survival. This means learning from their response to COVID-19, evaluating the new risk landscape, and ensuring that their crisis plans meet the current threat level. Not to do so risks further – potentially terminal – harm.

The Aim Of This Virtual Conference

As the Covid-19 cases continue to spike, taking effective measures against the threat of the pandemic has become one of the most important challenges not only for individual countries but for the wider international community.

This conference will focus on improving communicable disease control, key principles for effective crisis management through a COVID-19 lens, retaining stakeholder trust and confidence in a pandemic and, building future resilience through mobilizing evidence, action, and partnerships.

This conference will provide a forum for education and knowledge transfer, to expose executive participants to the latest Problem-Solving solutions in the fight against COVID-19.

This conference will gather internationally renowned experts in the field, both within and outside South Africa, representatives of the private sector, and high-ranking government officials responsible for health.

Who Should Attend?

The Virtual conference is targeted at high-ranking government officials responsible for health, representatives of the private sector, community representatives engaged in the fight against Covid-19 and professionals engaged in infectious disease epidemiology, microbiology, and control from the laboratory bench to clinic, from academia to the public service setting.

Topics:

1. What Is A Second Wave and Is One Coming?
2. Will A Second Wave Be the Same as The First?
3. Why describe disease outbreaks as 'waves'.
4. Is Talk of Waves Just Semantics?
5. Early Warning.
6. The Value of Planning (Lessons from South Africa’s first wave impact on learners in poorer communities - educationally, economically, mentally and socially and preparing them to become participants in the new cyber civilization that is on the horizon).
7. Building Future Resilience.
8. Risk and long-term future resilience to disease outbreaks.
9. What Is the Forecast for The Coming Months?
10. How to strengthen national resilience.
11. Evaluating the New Risk Landscape.
12. Creating Robust Crisis Plans and Procedures.
13. Can More Deaths Be Prevented?
14. WITHOUT SYMPTOMS: The Mystery Of 'Silent Spreaders'.
15. ENDGAME: How Do We Get Out of This Mess?
16. How Does A Virus Come Back?
17. Why Wasn’t There A Second Wave Of SARS?
18. Could This Be the End of The Beginning?
19. “Covid-19 an ongoing wave, U.S.A experience and perspective” by Prof. Alfred Sommer.

Guest Speakers