In early January WHO activated a team to coordinate and facilitate information-sharing on research elements needed for the response. The team will implement the WHO R&D Blueprint, a strategy for accelerating research and development activities during epidemics. The R&D Blueprint includes scenarios for “pathogen x” – a previously unknown pathogen – such as COVID-19. WHO convened a meeting of experts in Geneva on 11 and 12 February to set research and development priorities for coronavirus treatment, diagnostics, vaccines, infection prevention and community measures to combat the outbreak.