UNAIR NEWS – Faculty of Medicine (FK) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) has invited Prof. Nico Nagelkerke, MSc., PhD (Prof. Nico) as a speaker at the 60th Airlangga Webinar Conference Series (AWCS). The webinar was held on Friday, February 26, 2021, through Zoom and YouTube.
Prof. Nico, a professor of biostatistics at the United Arab Emirates University, explained that there are many opportunities to conduct research during a pandemic. Various studies in the field of clinical studies can be carried out, for example, studies related to the prognosis, intervention and therapy of COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the public health sector can also conduct research on how to reduce transmission, monitoring and surveillance. Other issues that can be researched during the current pandemic include those related to viruses and virus mutations; PCR; antigen; antibody; COVID-19 epidemiology and other research focus.
“The public health department can be involved in various types of research either independently, collaboratively, or responding to calls from such ministries,” explained Prof. Nico.
Independent research can usually be prompted by questions; available data; and a combination of both. Research driven by questions, for example, is how the Indonesian public respond to public health messages such as social distancing? How is the infection fatality rate (IFR) in Indonesia?
“Research that is driven by available data can be in the form of death rate data, test results, clinical data from hospitals and other facilities,” he continued.
In addition, clinical research can be in the form of research on predictors of disease severity and mortality. Then research into which patients can be treated outside the hospital; intervention studies with randomized clinical trials and zelen designs; and research on post discharge follow up.
Author: Galuh Mega Kurnia
Editor: Nuri Hermawan
