From the Editor - EMWA and Medical Writing: 12 months into the pandemic (original) (raw)

The National Academy of Medicine facing Covid-19

Bulletin de l'Académie Nationale de Médecine, 2020

2020, the bicentenary year, promised to be exceptional for the National Academy of Medicine. Who could have predicted at the start of the year that an emerging coronavirus, already spread beyond the borders of China, would compromise the commemoration of a two-century history, shutting down for many months the premises of the 16 Bonaparte street, but also, encourage a vigorous mobilization of academicians faced to an unprecedent health crisis?

Good times, bad times: A diary of a physician in the COVID-19 era

European Journal of Internal Medicine, 2020

Elsevier has created a COVID-19 resource centre with free information in English and Mandarin on the novel coronavirus COVID-19. The COVID-19 resource centre is hosted on Elsevier Connect, the company's public news and information website. Elsevier hereby grants permission to make all its COVID-19-related research that is available on the COVID-19 resource centre-including this research content-immediately available in PubMed Central and other publicly funded repositories, such as the WHO COVID database with rights for unrestricted research re-use and analyses in any form or by any means with acknowledgement of the original source. These permissions are granted for free by Elsevier for as long as the COVID-19 resource centre remains active.

Hello! How are we doing after one year of COVID-19?

International Journal of Epidemiology

Although prophecies of a new viral pandemic were common in infectious disease circles, SARS-CoV-2 was an unpleasant surprise for most epidemiologists. Its worldwide impact has been existential for many-and economic, social and psychological for all. 'Epidemiology' has entered the vernacular. The pandemic confronted us with our personal vulnerability. It lifted the lid on poverty, unjust health and socioeconomic inequality, and the often lamentable care of our older citizens. Epidemiological preventive advice to political authorities was adopted-to varying degrees. Predictably, communities' responses varied. The result was the full spectrum: from apparent success to abject failure in developing and implementing the classical preventive programmes of quarantine, lockdown, case-finding, contact tracing and mask-wearing. Within remarkably short order, the genetics and biology of the virus were unravelled, leading to the development of vaccines. As researchers 'at a distance', we pay a sincere tribute to the front-line workers in this global crisis; we honour the memory of those who have succumbed to the deadly enemy. Estimates suggest that more than 3000 health care workers worldwide have died of COVID-19 and related complications. This journal (and many others) has experienced a surge in submissions relating to COVID-19. PubMed records the publication of 104 343 papers on Covidthe first in November 2019-compared with, for interest, 321 685 papers on smoking-the first published in 1811.

COVID19 -A Daredevil or A Blessing In Disguise

COVID-19 A Daredevil or A Blessing In Disguise, 2021

COVID19 starting as an epidemic last year (2019) from Wuhan, China got converted into a pandemic within months with its devastating ravages throughout the world. The pandemic and its spread with its severity affected both poor and rich countries equally, which had a larger population. The measures taken by China, though, were initially challenged and even termed against the 'human rights' for the complete lockdown but soon were adopted by many countries. Suddenly, the need for ICUs and ventilators in them jumped throughout the world 1 , the value and demand for doctors, especially the clinicians managing the emergencies was brought to the limelight ; all types of borders within and between the countries were closed for any movements and above all the social media became active with all the myths, misinformation and warnings about COVID19. The WHO, amidst all this chaos, took up the steering role for addressing and managing the pandemic. Various SoPs (standard Operating Procedures) were prepared, which by and large focused on a) social distancing b) wearing masks, and c) cleaning or sanitizing the hands regularly. 2 Suddenly, the soaps, sanitizers, and masks became expensive to the extent that at many places, they were not available. All the intuitions or areas where there was a potential of the larger gathering were closed, including offices, educational intuitions, markets, malls, and even parks and playgrounds were closed. Initially, it meant getting locked at home or getting necessary essential items, including food from someone else, or taking the risk of going out and getting these essential items. The various scientists related to Pathology/virology, public health experts, and health policy and planners also joined the bandwagon to address this pandemic. All the businesses, both local and international, plunged, and countries showed a downward trend. 3 Each

Throwback Thursday 2019 - 2024- COVID -19 : remembering how all started, and lessons to learn

Five years ago started “the worst combined health and socioeconomic crisis in living memory, and a catastrophe at every level” (cf the Independent Panel for pandemic preparedness and response). A strange anniversary that cannot be forgotten, despite the many crises haunting today the world. It taught me a lot - as a manager, a leader and a human being . I put together some of these lessons.