The 1st WHO reference laboratory network for SARS-CoV-2 (the “WHO SARS-CoV-2 Reference Laboratory Network”) was established in January 2020, with the initial objective to provide confirmatory testing to countries with no or little testing capacity for SARS-CoV-2. Since then, the needs for SARS-CoV-2 have evolved and monitoring the evolution of the virus, spread of variants and assessing the impact of variants on public health remains essential. After several years of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO has decided to broaden and revise the scope, objectives and terms of reference and establish a new ‘WHO Coronavirus Network” (CoViNet) with enhanced epidemiological and laboratory capacities including: (i) expertise in animal health and environmental surveillance; (ii) other coronaviruses, including MERS-CoV; and (iii) the identification of novel coronaviruses that could negatively affect human health.
The core objectives of CoViNet are:
- early and accurate detection of SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and novel coronaviruses of public health importance;
- surveillance and monitoring of the global circulation and evolution of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and novel coronaviruses of public health importance recognizing the need for a “One Health” approach;
- timely risk assessment for SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and novel coronaviruses of public health importance, to inform WHO policy related to a range of public health and medical countermeasures;and
- support for capacity building of laboratories relevant to the needs of WHO and CoViNet, particularly those in low- and middle-income countries, for SARS-CoV-2, MERS-CoV and novel coronaviruses of public health importance.
Data generated and synthesized through the network will support WHO decision making underpinned by our Technical Advisory Groups on Viral Evolution (TAG-VE) and Vaccine Composition (TAG-CO-VAC).
The current status of the reference laboratory component of the network is described in the figure below. New labs with expertise in animal health and environmental and wastewater pathogen surveillance will join soon, and the national level presence of CoViNet will be leveraged through expanded-GISRS and adoption of an integrated respiratory pathogen surveillance approach.
Abbreviation | Name of the Institute | Country | WHO Region |
VIDRL | The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity | Australia | WPRO |
FIOCRUZ | Fundação Oswaldo Cruz | Brazil | AMRO/PAHO |
IP | Institut Pasteur | France | EURO |
HCL | Hospices Civils de Lyon | France | EURO |
Charité | Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin | Germany | EURO |
NMIMR | Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research | Ghana | AFRO |
HKU | The University of Hong Kong | Hong Kong SAR, China | WPRO |
THSTI | Translational Health Science and Technology Institute | India | SEARO |
ICMR-NIV | Indian Council of Medical Research-National Institute of Virology Pune | India | SEARO |
NIID | National Institute of Infectious Diseases | Japan | WPRO |
InDRE | Instituto De Diagnostico Y Referencia Epidemiologicos, Dr Manuel Martinez Baez | Mexico | AMRO/PAHO |
NIH Pakistan | National Institute of Health, Pakistan | Pakistan | EMRO |
Vector | Federal Budgetary Institution of Science "State Scientific Centre of Virology and Biotechnology "Vector" of the Federal Service for Supervision of Consumer Rights Protection and Human Welfare | Russian Federation | EURO |
IPD | Institut Pasteur de Dakar | Senegal | AFRO |
AHRI | Africa Health Research Institute | South Africa | AFRO |
NICD | National Institute for Communicable Diseases | South Africa | AFRO |
HUG/IVI | University Hospitals of Geneva / Institute of Virology and Immunology, Mittelhäusern | Switzerland | EURO |
TRC-EIDCC | King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Chulalongkorn University | Thailand | SEARO |
NIH Thailand | National Institute of Health, Thailand | Thailand | SEARO |
EMC | Erasmus Medical Centre | Netherlands | EURO |
RIVM | National Institute for Public Health and the Environment | Netherlands | EURO |
UVRI | Uganda Virus Research Institute | Uganda | AFRO |
ADAFSA | Abu Dhabi Agriculture and Food Safety Authority (WOAH collaborating centre) | United Arab Emirates | EMRO |
RLID | Reference Laboratory Infectious Disease | United Arab Emirates | EMRO |
UKHSA | UK Health Security Agency | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | EURO |
Emory | Emory University | United States of America | AMRO/PAHO |
CDC | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) | United States of America | AMRO/PAHO |
OSU | Ohio State University (FAO reference centre) | United States of America | AMRO/PAHO |
IRD/CIRAD | French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development/French agricultural research and international cooperation organization (FAO reference centre) | France | EURO |
PUB / NEA | Public Utilities Board/National Environment Agency Singapore | Singapore | WPRO |
FLI | Frederic Loefller Institute (WOAH reference centre) | Germany | EURO |
KWR | KWR Water Research Institute | Kingdom of the Netherlands | EURO |
CSIR-NEERI | CSIR - National Environmental Engineering Research Institute | India | SEARO |
| FCI | Francis Crick Institute | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | EURO |
WHO convened the 1st Coronavirus Network (CoViNet) meeting on 26-27 March 2024 in Geneva, to discuss how to achieve the overall goal and specific objectives of the network.
Contact us
WHO Coronavirus Network (CoViNet)
20 Avenue Appia
1211 Geneva
Switzerland
Email: [email protected]