HKUMed MFN v26i1

Professor Malik Peiris 醎⨀㡦來䱇 Over the next few years, they produced seminal studies on the emergence, evolution and pathogenicity of H5N1, established a monitoring and surveillance programme, and proposed evidence-based measures to control the virus, including rest days and periodic closures of live poultry markets and poultry vaccines – an approach that, to this day, remains relevant for controlling emerging infectious viruses. They applied the same diligence towards the SARS virus in 2003. Professor Peiris led a team that was the first to identify the virus responsible for SARS and developed a diagnostic test that was shared internationally. Professor Guan’s team found the source of the virus – the human-wildlife interface of the live animal markets of Guangdong. Similar detective work has been applied to H1N1 (swine flu), H7N9, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and other emerging viruses. Professor Peiris and his team have also produced new insights on the disease burden of influenza and its transmission. Their success extends beyond the lab – both scholars advise the World Health Organization (WHO) on vaccine candidates for its annual influenza vaccination programme. And recently, their body of work has provided important guidance and insights for the world on tackling the SARS-CoV-2 virus behind the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, Professor Peiris was pivotal in an early research report (February 2020) suggesting that COVID-19 was likely to transmit more like flu than like SARS in 2003 and, with Professor Leo Poon Lit-man , was involved in the first diagnostic protocols for detecting SARS-CoV-2 – which was shared with the WHO – while Professor Guan sounded an early alarm about the pandemic in January 2020, warning it would be far worse than anything they had studied before. ‘I was attracted by [Louis Pasteur’s] logical approach to conceptual problems’ չ䊼倛䗞㼩倴嚌䙂䚍涸㉏겗鿪剤䖎幢兠 涸齅鱀䙼笞⛳㔔姽幀幀㖒䒸衽䧮պ 11