Dolce & Gabbana Is Teaming Up With Humanitas University to Support Coronavirus Research

Dolce & Gabbana is teaming up with Italy's Humanitas University to support its research into coronavirus, the fashion house announced this week. "We felt we had to do something to fight this devastating virus, which started from China but is threatening all mankind. In these cases, it is important to make the right choice," explained Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana in a statement. Dolce & Gabbana already works to support medical scholarships at Humanitas University.

"Prof. Mantovani told us the African fable about a hummingbird: while all the other animals were fleeing from a fire in the forest, it flew in the opposite direction, continuing to bring water in the attempt to put out the fire. We understood that in any case it was worth doing something. Even a very small gesture can have enormous significance," continued the designers in their statement.

The aforementioned Professor Alberto Mantovani is leading the Humanitas University research team; he's working alongside professors Cecilia Garlanda, Elisa Vicenzi, and Massimo Clementi. This is the same group of researchers who isolated the pathogen responsible for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, better known as SARS, and were the first in Italy to do so.

Since the first case of coronavirus was reported in Wuhan, China, the sickness has spread to 24 countries, per the World Health Organization. There have been more than 76,000 reported cases (opens in new tab) in China as of Feb. 21. Alarmed by the virus' recent spread from Iran, the WHO's director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Friday: (opens in new tab) "It is in our hands now...we can reverse or avert serious crisis. If we don't, if we squander this opportunity, then there could be a serious problem on our hands."

Explained the designers: "Supporting scientific research is a moral duty for us. We hope our contribution will help to solve this dramatic problem."

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