Through the first 18 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, waves of elevated transmission have occurred in all seasons in nearly all climate zones. Nevertheless, epidemic projections have, from the beginning, included expectation that the disease might eventually fall into a seasonal pattern similar to many other respiratory viral infections. This expectation has been supported to some extent by laboratory studies of SARS-CoV-2, as well as by epidemiological studies that have attempted to tease a seasonal signal out of a short, noisy, and variable data record. Understanding the role of seasonality in the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic is of high relevance in formulating public health interventions. However, it is not clear how decision-makers can make best use of seasonal epidemic and meteorological projections to inform planning and risk management, given the complicated context of COVID-19 variants, vaccination campaigns, changes in acquired immunity across populations, and shifting policy mandates.

This roundtable event will convene leading researchers focused on COVID-19 seasonality, operational disease forecasters and meteorological service providers, and health system experts to address the roles that seasonal risk monitoring and projection can play in COVID-19 response.

Speakers

• Dr. Anca Brookshaw, European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts
• Dr. Ken Takahashi, SENAMHI Peru 
• Dr. Alan Diener, Health Canada
• Dr. Rachel Lowe, LSHTM
• Dr. David Fisman, University of Toronto
• Dr. Gordon Nichols, Public Health England 
• Dr. Elizabeth Lee, Johns Hopkins University

Event starts at 9:00 AM Eastern Time and 3:00 PM Central European Summer Time