ESMH regularly publishes articles on topics related to science and new technologies that provoke a lot of media attention and that are important in the European context. Most importantly, the articles are written with the help of science writers in journalistic style and always provide the opinion of one or more scientists on the topic. The publications are accompanied by a selection of links to related information and with a focus on European research and knowledge in the field.
Articles
The key role of antivirals in COVID-19 treatment
A few weeks after the SARS-CoV-2 was identified by Chinese researchers as the cause of ‘COVID-19’, an antiviral called remdesivir, originally used during the 2014 Ebola outbreak, came into play as the first available option to treat patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Even if the approval process for remdesivir caused some controversy, experts consider the combined use of antivirals and other drugs a promising solution for treatment of Covid-19.
The potential of digital well-being in times of physical social distancing
Digital well-being tools hold the promise of empowering users to regain control of time spent online. How successful are these tools during the Covid-19 global pandemic?
The pandemic has catapulted science to the forefront of policy-making
Interview with Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Special Advisor to the President of the European Commission on the response to the coronavirus and COVID-19: how science has been feeding into policy-making? What does your role as EU special advisor on COVID-19 entail? I am part of the ...
Cary Funk: “It is important to engage with people who have a low level of trust in scientists”
Cary Funk from Pew Research Center talks about the impact of people’s ideology and education on their trust in scientists, medical treatments and vaccines, and how science communication can overcome this.
The way of on-life: Introducing the Digital Humanities Series
Voluntarily or not, social distancing in 2020 means relying on digital communication more than ever before. Which challenges and choices arise from the all-digital living lab? A new dedicated ESMH Digital Humanities series explores the developing on-life in the EU.
The role of school settings in COVID-19 transmission
So far, sending children back to school does not seem to have increased community transmission rates, even though EU countries have adopted different strategies. Keeping schools open is very important for children’s health and well-being.
Climate change & storytelling: challenges for the (post) Covid-19 era
End of 2019: Climate change, technological innovation and sustainability are among the priority subjects for the European Science-Media Hub (ESMH) to cover, as they get increasing attention in the media and they have a prominent place in the EU policy agenda. End of May 2020: European Parliament, Strasbourg: a hundred of young enthusiastic science communicators ...
AI in journalism : with power come responsibilities
Media organisations worldwide show a growing awareness and adoption of artificial intelligence for information gathering, storytelling and news distribution. Given the potential transformative power of AI in journalism, media organisations must consider how best to use AI tools to fulfill their mission. They should reflect on the impacts that AI in journalism has on democracy, diversity and public values.
Dexamethasone : the first life-saving drug for COVID-19 patients
Clinical trials make it possible to evaluate whether a treatment improves outcomes. Developing a hypothesis, for example if treatment A is better than standard treatment B, clinical trials enable understanding of the role of an intervention in improving patient care. In the current search for a successful treatment against COVID-19, ongoing multiple clinical trials have started to make a difference, such as the Recovery clinical trial on dexamethasone, which has given a definitive verdict on the use of corticosteroids during COVID-19.
COVID-19 : tracking clusters to keep ahead of fresh surges
With many countries around the world beginning to see or anticipating a resurgence of COVID-19, attention has been turning to how to avoid an economically punishing second round of lockdowns while keeping transmission down. One method is by examining the types of hotspots where clusters of cases emerge.