Fighting Viruses – Innovations to Safeguard Our Health

In 2019, the emergence of a novel coronavirus caused an outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Since then, COVID-19 has been spreading throughout the world at an amazing speed and has been responsible for millions of infections globally, causing hundreds of thousands of deaths. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a global pandemic due to the spread of the infection.

In general, coronaviruses cause widespread respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous system diseases in humans and other animals. They are capable of adapting to new environments through mutation and genetic recombination. Therefore, public health threats from coronaviruses are constant and long-term. Understanding the virology of coronaviruses, controlling their spread and developing effective therapies and vaccines have important implications for global health and economic stability.

This exhibition provides visitors with a general introduction to coronaviruses, the science behind COVID-19, antiviral treatments and preventive vaccines, as well as examples of research projects and innovations from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology related to fighting COVID-19 from the aspects of prevention, mitigation and treatment.