ECCMID 2020 To Be Held Completely Online
In a recent update the ESCMID organization has announced that the 30th European Congress for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ECCMID) will go ahead as a completely online congress. This decision was taken in light of rapidly spreading COVID-19 outbreak and the strict measures being taken as a result. Read ESCMID's statement below.
After very careful deliberation and consideration, the ESCMID leadership has decided to cancel the on-site part of this year´s ECCMID in Paris and to proceed with the preparation of a completely online ECCMID 2020.
The reason for this decision is, of course, the COVID-19 outbreak which increasingly involves travel restrictions and reduced travel availability in many parts of the world, an increasing pressure for ID/CM professionals to remain available at their workplace, the uncertainties surrounding the possibility of holding ECCMID physically in France given the recently aggravated ban on public gatherings issued by French authorities, and last but not least, the health and safety of our members and delegates.
We would like to take this opportunity to reinforce the fact that the cancellation of the onsite meeting does not mean the same thing as cancelling the congress in its entirety. Our goal remains spreading the knowledge and the science to be presented and discussed at ECCMID to the greatest extent possible. With this goal in mind, we have taken the decision to deliver the entire ECCMID programme and congress materials online to all registered delegates and faculty. Also, we are making the necessary preparations to livestream as many ECCMID sessions as possible and give speakers and chairs the option to remotely participate in their respective sessions. Speakers will also have the possibility to pre-record their talk if needed. Livestreaming will enable active exchange with the audience: speakers will have the possibility to introduce interactive questions in their slides, and the audience to reply using the ECCMID App, as well as to ask questions at the end of the talks/session; chairs will moderate the session as usual. We also plan to have special arrangements for online presentation of posters.
If you are already registered to the congress, your registration to this very special ECCMID will automatically be converted to personalised e-ticket allowing full remote participation in all sessions and live online discussions. If you are not registered yet, please do so, with personalised e-tickets you will have the opportunity to follow the entire online ECCMID.
We hope to welcome you to our online ECCMID 2020 and to share this experience with your colleagues as well as the whole ESCMID and ECCMID team.
We very much hope for your understanding and we value your support.
Kind regards from the ECCMID team.
ECCMID Programme Directors