COVID-19 (coronavirus)

With each passing day, we see the rapid spread of COVID-19. It is far reaching, and it is preventing the gathering of even small numbers of people. It is in this unique context that we regret to announce that our biennial event, FCVB 2020, planned for 23-26 April in Budapest, will not take place as scheduled. Fortunately, however, we have been able to secure new dates and can confirm that our congress will now take place from 22 to 25 April 2021 in Budapest.

The leadership of the ESC and the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science (CBCS) have been closely following the current health crisis. Increasingly severe measures have been put in place to limit the spread of the virus as health systems deal with the pandemic. As such, more than 60% of our esteemed congress faculty have already cancelled their participation – and that number will only grow. In addition, travel restrictions and a ban on indoor meetings are currently in place in Hungary and it is difficult to ascertain how the situation will evolve in the coming weeks.

As a result of these factors and our responsibility to protect the health of our faculty, delegates and staff, the CBCS committee agreed that postponing FCVB to April 2021 was the only responsible course of action.

More details about FCVB 2021 will follow, but in the meantime should you have any queries, please refer to the web page Your Questions Answered.

Our heartfelt best wishes go out to you, your families and your patients in these difficult times.

Professor Johannes Waltenberger
ESC Council on Basic Cardiovascular Science
Chairperson 2018–2020