On January 30, the World Health Organization declared a global health emergency on the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) that originated in Wuhan. Healthcare experts have warned that COVID-19 could rapidly spread, if not properly contained, and many governments around the world have begun to take precautionary measures to ensure public health safety. Amid the international concern and heightened fears about the disease, what is fact and what is fiction? Asia Society Hong Kong Center brings you regular updates on the coronavirus story that has reverberations around the world. We are pleased to present on-the-ground public health experts and internationally renowned specialists with the latest facts and evidence-based findings regarding the pandemic. In episode 16, hear from Dr. Jeffrey Burns, Chief of Critical Care and Chair of ICU Governance Committee at Boston Children's Hospital. S. Alice Mong, Executive Director of Asia Society Hong Kong Center, will moderate the discussion.

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Jeffrey Burns is Chief of Critical Care and Chair of ICU Governance Committee at Boston Children's Hospital, where he directs 30 faculty and 16 fellows caring for 3,000 critically ill children each year at three pediatric intensive care units, and leading a large critical care research and education program. He also is Executive Chair of International Health Services at Boston Children’s Hospital, and Professor of Anesthesia and Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Burns is board certified in Pediatrics and Pediatric Critical Care Medicine by the American Board of Pediatrics, where he served as Chair of the Sub-Board in Pediatric Critical Care Medicine in 2017-2019. His research focuses on innovations in postgraduate medical education. Recognizing the power of the internet to transform global training in pediatric intensive care and health care generally, Dr. Burns conceived OPENPediatrics, an award winning cloud-based platform for delivering instruction and fostering communication among geographically dispersed healthcare professionals. It is a peer-reviewed, open-access, multilingual knowledge exchange application in use by physicians and nurses in every country and territory worldwide, and over 2,500 hospitals globally. Additionally, Dr. Burns was Founding Director of the Boston Children’s Hospital Simulator Program, the first in-hospital, dedicated pediatric critical care simulator suite in the United States. He earned his medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine and a Master of Public Health from Harvard University.