Editorial: The explosive epidemic outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the persistent threat of respiratory tract infectious diseases to global health security

^aDivision of Infection and Immunity, Centre for Clinical Microbiology, University College London

^bNIHR Biomedical Research Centre, UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK

^cDivision of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York, USA

Correspondence to Alimuddin Zumla, MD, PhD, FRCP, Division of Infection and Immunity, Centre for Clinical Microbiology, University College London Royal Free Campus, 2nd floor, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, UK. Tel: +44 20 7472 6402; fax: +44 20 7794 0433; e-mail: [email protected]