Footnotes

• Twitter @KwabenaDuedu

• Collaborators The members of the COVID-19 Clinical Research Coalition Virology, Immunology, and Diagnostics Working Group are: Ayouba Ahidjo, IRD and University of Montpellier, France; Derseree Archary, Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), South Africa; Dharshan de Silva, Kotelawala Defence University, Sri Lanka; Améyo Dorkenoo, University of Lomé, Togo; Shymaa Enany, Suez Canal University, Egypt; Sophia Kitui, CDT Africa, Kenya; Blandina Mmbaga, Kilimanjaro Clinical Research Institute, Tanzania; Wolfgang Preiser, Stellenbosch University / NHLS Tygerberg, South Africa; Paramdeep Singh, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, India; Aida Sivro; Centre for the AIDS Programme of Research in South Africa (CAPRISA), South Africa; and Misaki Wayengera, Makere University, Uganda.

• Contributors SN and BO contributed equally to this paper. SN, BO, WM, WS and CWW conceptualised the piece, and SN, BO and WM prepared the initial draft. NE created the figure. All authors critically reviewed and edited the manuscript, and approved the final version for submission.

• Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

• Competing interests None declared.

• Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.