pandemic
Long Covid: The ‘invisible illness’ people must learn to see
In Europe, Long Covid has impacted around 36 million people over the first three years of the pandemic. However, the disease’s complexity, novelty, and often invisible symptoms, combined with a lack of public understanding, have led to many patients being dismissed or doubted by doctors, policymakers, colleagues, and even their loved ones. As a result, ...
Interview with Gez Medinger: ‘We should discuss why Long Covid is such a significant issue – for healthcare but also for the economy’
Gez Medinger is an investigative science journalist and patient advocate for Long Covid. He became ill with Covid in the early days of the pandemic. When he didn't recover, Gez put his efforts into researching the novel condition of Long Covid and turning his YouTube channel into a huge resource for patients. The ESMH spoke ...
Interview with Frederico Guanais on Long Covid: ‘awareness and understanding are essential’
Frederico Guanais is Deputy Head of the OECD Health Division, where since 2019 he has led work on patient-reported indicators, health statistics, people-centred care, climate and health, support to health reforms, and regional initiatives in Latin America. The ESMH spoke with him ahead of the STOA workshop “Long Covid: Current Realities, Future Directions” where he ...
Science communication beyond the headlines: interview with science journalist Kai Kupferschmidt
This year, on 13 June, the European Science-Media Hub hosted a science communication workshop at the European Youth Event in Strasbourg. We talked to its main speaker: 'Science' magazine journalist Kai Kupferschmidt ahead of the event. He mentions the challenges science journalism is facing and the large presence of mis- and disinformation: “As humans, we’ve ...
STOA’s work on health during a term marked by the Covid-19 pandemic
In the 2019-2024 European Parliament legislative term, the EU faced the biggest health crisis of a generation: Covid-19 and its consequences. The pandemic put health in the spotlight of European decision-making and it also featured prominently in the work of the European Parliament’s panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) over the past ...
Omicron, another chapter in the Covid-19 pandemic
Before the winter holidays, a new, more transmissible variant was discovered. By now, Omicron is responsible for most new infections in Europe. What do we know so far? And what are the future possible scenarios?
Supporting Europeans in coping with the psychological consequences of the pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has been having a large impact on Europeans’ mental health. On 25 January 2022, the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) held a workshop about this important topic, ways to help people cope and policy options. Featuring in this video are European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili, Scientific ...
Mental health in Covid times
How has the Covid-19 pandemic affected our mental health? Moreover, are we able to bounce back from this?