LAUSR

It is timely to assess where we are in the current SARS Coronavirus-2 pandemic. This edition of Microbiology Australia has national, and international, authorities authoring a series of papers on SARS Coronavirus 2 and related subjects. We are extremely fortunate to have papers on the overarching issues of zoonotic spread (Gartner, Selleck) and how this relates to the practicalities of our responses via public health (Bennett), vaccination (Macintyre), antivirals (De Clercq), and immunotherapies (Kelleher). Diagnosis and transmission control have been at the centre of public health responses (Blackall, Speers), as has been research informing our understanding of the virus (Dhakal, Zaunders, Eden). A focus on basic research, translated into outcomes in real time, has been a very successful feature of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are privileged to be able to feature some of this research, in these papers, although this is only part of the extensive and excellent Australian work in reducing the impact of SARS CoV2 infection, and COVID-19 disease.