GIGA-Institute, ULiège - FNRS - Royal Academy of Sciences, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium
" The main objective of our research program is the identification of human genetic factors impacting the COVID19 pandemic. Within the COVID-19 host genetics initiative (https://www.covid19hg.org/), we will establish a shared set of phenotypes to be combined with genomic data for standard GWAS and further meta-analysis. Field of expertise of our laboratory : genetics, genomics, bioinformatics, immune-response related diseases. In addition, the GIGA Institute is an interdisciplinary research institute from the ULiege devoted to academic excellence in the biomedical sciences to foster ground-breaking medical innovation. It comprises 583 members attached to six faculties (Medicine, Science, Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Agbiotech, Psychology) that are organized in four disease-based (neuroscience, cancer, infection-inflammation-immunity, cardiovascular) and two method-based thematic units...

Read more: Souad Rahmouni, Doctor

UMONS and Ambroise-Paré Hospital Mons
" Predictive plasma signature of the clinical behavior of COVID-19 patients. The clinical presentation of COVID-19 infection varies from mild to asymptomatic to pneumonia, which can be complicated by severe respiratory failure and/or cardiovascular, renal, hepatic and cutaneous involvement. The understanding of such a polymorphism is very incomplete and the prognosis is difficult. Several tracks involving inflammatory reactions are currently favored to better explain this disease. In particular, the significant increase in plasma cytokines IL2, IL7, IL10, GSCF, IP10, MCP1, MIP1A and TNFα, known as "cytokine storm", seems to be significantly associated with the ARDS and multi-organ onsets. In this context, IL6 seems to play an important role and targeted treatments against this cytokine seem promising. Also, the infection of endothelial cells by the coronavirus causing endothelium inflammation have been suggested as one of the fundamental...

Read more: Stéphane CARLIER, Prof - Jean-Marie COLET, Prof - Fabrice JOURNE, Dr - Sven SAUSSEZ, Prof- Vincent...

UCLouvain 
" The impact of COVID-19 on the relation between great powers "
Contact: Prof. Tanguy Struye de Swielande UCL-CECRI This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UCLouvain - FNRS
" Background Primary care is considered to be an essential component of the health system towards the Quadruple aim (improved health outcomes for people, care processes, efficiency and provider work life). In French-speaking Belgium Primary care is poorly structured. The current Covid-19 epidemic acts as a revealer for the strenghts and weaknesses of primary care. The main research question is: what can we learn about the structuration of primary care, its strenghts and weaknesses, in the context of the current epidemic? We use a qualitative research design. The investigated population si primary care providers (GPs, nurses, dentists, pharmacists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists) who are representing their profession, while having a clinical activity. We hold weekly semi-structured interviews with 10 different profiles of providers while the crisis lasts. We use the systematic reporting of critical events, as perceived by the interviewees, as an entry point...

Read more: Thérèse Van Durme, FNRS Research Associate

ULB
" The forthcoming research (appel PER 15/5/2020) will focus on the the architecture of isolation, how it has been used for earlier epidemies and pandemies in Europe and Africa, and if sanatoria in Belgium could be used for this epidemic situation or lead us to ideal architectural programs "
Funding: FNRS PER (to introduce with current call)
Contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

UCLouvain
" Abstract Aims. Billions of individuals have been confined to their homes as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. This kind of exposure of the population to social distancing is unusual in its scale and in its potential effects on social and mental health. The main aim of this paper, accordingly, is to investigate the effects of confinement on the social and mental health of individuals during the first days of confinement. First, we compared the prevalence of psychological distress before and at the beginning of the confinement period. Then, we assessed three groups of risk factors for psychological distress: changes in social activities and support, exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes in occupational status. Methods. An online survey was distributed to the general population in Belgium three days after the beginning of the confinement period. 20,792 respondents participated in the survey. The prevalence of psychological distress was measured using the GHQ-12...

Read more: Vincent Lorant, Professor

UCLouvain
" The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental representation of social groups : The role of threat on the stereotypes of Chinese in the US and in France "
Funding: UCLouvain and FNRS
Contact: Vincent Yzerbyt, UCLouvain (PSP/IPSY), This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Comment: This project comprises two subprojects, one devoted to the change in stereotypes of Chinese in France and one on the facial representation of Chinese in the United States

UCLouvain
" The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the image about and behaviors towards fragile populations in general and migrants in particular "
Funding: An application for funding has been sent in. UCLouvain
Publication References: Vincent Yzerbyt & Stéphanie Demoulin (2019). Les relations intergroupes. Presses Universitaires de Grenoble: Grenoble
Contact: Vincent Yzerbyt, UCLouvain (PSP/IPSY), This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.