ISCB COVID-19 Statements
Notice of ISCB Official Statements
ISCB would like to stress that personal statements made and opinions held by its members on the COVID-19 pandemic origins, course, and consequences are not official statements of ISCB. Official ISCB statements may be found within the Society Announcements or Policies and Statements sections of the website - www.iscb.org. ISCB considers the pandemic a still growing serious global threat to human health that is currently poorly understood. The Society encourages abiding by the continued strong preventive measures and recommends that people follow the advice given by their country's public official directives. ISCB encourages tolerance and believes that it is not helpful to hold any population or individuals accountable for the appearance or progression of the epidemic and urges members to refrain from making any statements in this regard. The Society urges facilitating intensive research on the virus and its associated disease, targeted at prevention and cure, by openly sharing the relevant samples, data, and results globally.
ISCB Press Release on COVID-19 impact on ISMB2020, March 18, 2020
ISCB leadership continues to closely monitor the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and to assess the impact on our annual meeting ISMB 2020. Given the current situation we are assessing multiple possibilities including postponement or holding a virtual conference. We appreciate the patience of our community as we work to come to a decision. We will provide an update to the community on ISMB plans no later than April 9th.
We encourage participants to register. In the event we have to cancel the conference, we will refund all registration fees. If you are planning to book air travel, we recommend that you hold off on booking until a later date, book a refundable ticket, or book a ticket with insurance that covers the cancellation of the event. Most hotel reservations may be canceled up to 72 hours prior to arrival.
For those who have already been accepted or invited to present at ISMB 2020, ISCB is committed to providing you with a platform to present your research. For those considering to submit an abstract or poster, we encourage you to still submit. This will enable ISCB and our communities of special interest (COSI) track leaders to track interest and plan their programs.
ISCB knows how important it is to deliver timely information. Again, we ask for your patience to allow leadership the time to meet and discuss. We will provide an update to the community no later than April 9th.
We can all do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Here are some simple yet highly effective tips for guarding against this virus and others like it, that you can apply at home, at work, and at the conference:
- Wash your hands often with water and soap for at least 20 seconds (including between fingers, both palms, thumbs, and fingertips).
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue or into your elbow. (Discard tissues in closed containers.)
- Do not touch your face or ears.
- Clean shared surfaces and items
- If you are ill, stay home and limit contact with others.
