Apart, together: coping with the COVID-19 pandemic
Authors: Catarina Sacristán
Journal: Trends in Immunology (2021)

December 2021 marks 2 years since the first reports of a coronavirus outbreak were covered by a handful of international media outlets. Few could have envisioned what would transpire over the coming months and none can accurately predict how things will unfold in years to come. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic continues, diminished in some places, unabated in others, and periodically re-emerging throughout. While the future is uncertain, we remain optimistic and have chosen this anniversary as an opportunity to remember our communities and families, reflect on the indelible aspects of this difficult epoch, and express our hopes for the future. Editors from the Trends journals have been moved to create a narrative: we reflect on the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact at the scientific and human levels. We express gratitude and remember all those scientists whose achievements have transcended beyond their time with us, and we also celebrate the resilience and scientific accomplishments of all those who have/are enduring and coping with the pandemic and its sequelae. The Trends team recognizes the scientists, researchers, and healthcare workers who have lost their lives to COVID-19, directly or indirectly. These include individuals having succumbed to complications arising from SARS-CoV-2 infection, those passing from breakthrough infections, and those whose deaths are linked to the growing mental health toll of this global pandemic. Still, other human beings have suffered from chronic illnesses or from delayed life-saving treatments because of overburdened, suboptimal healthcare infrastructure and aid. These are sobering reminders of the sacrifices that have been made by so many and the magnitude of the loss endured by our community and countless others. Notwithstanding, the world has stepped up to the challenge, and here we acknowledge all individuals whose scientific and administrative tour de force achievements have carved a path forward to ensure the safety of the human race in the face of a deadly threat. Thank you. As we collectively reflect on how the COVID-19 outbreak rapidly evolved into a global pandemic, we also notice that phrases based on scientific principles such as 'flatten the curve', 'herd immunity', '6 feet apart', and 'hotspots', have assumed great importance in everyday life. Indeed, the phrase 'follow the science' has transformed into a trending tagline, with the status of scientists seemingly being elevated to that of celebrities. Some medics and frontline workers have even been featured on the covers of fashion magazinesi, an unusual recognition of their vital contributions to the community at large, and rightfully so. Yet, despite the esteem and accomplishments, scientists and clinicians are human and vulnerable to the deadly virus they have led the fight against. Nevertheless, as part of our collective vocabulary during the pandemic, the expression 'all in this together' has become a global rallying cry upon facing a common infectious threat that has forced us to distance ourselves from each other. Indeed, the scientific community has embraced this call for collective action, sustaining an unparalleled pace of progress and discovery over the past 2 years, even in the face of significant setbacks. With lockdowns in place worldwide, laboratory closures and restrictions have globally imperiled many lines of research. In some institutions, scientists and clinicians have been required or encouraged to stop their personal research to help fight COVID-19 by processing tests, formulating sanitizers, donating equipment, and/or working at the frontlinesii–iv. Laboratory heads have scrambled to sustain their research and keep their teams safe, with some even struggling to obtain basic supplies and keep model organisms alive. In academia, colleges and universities have faced existential threats, grappling with plummeting student enrolment and the challenges of remote learning. Under these circumstances, some researchers have lost their jobs, and those who have retained them face an exceptionally fraught path for navigating standard career milestones such as preparing grants and tenure packages. There is increasing evidence that this path represents a challenging obstacle particularly for women researchers, scientists with children, and early-career investigatorsv–viii [1.Wadman M. Pandemic scientists fight burnout.Science. 2021; 372: 13-14Crossref PubMed Scopus (20) Google Scholar, 2.Woolston C. 'Less pipetting and more thinking': scientists carry on through the pandemic.Nature. 2021; 592: 806Crossref Scopus (14) Google Scholar, 3.Collins C. Productivity in a pandemic.Science. 2020; 369: 603Crossref PubMed Scopus (34) Google Scholar, 4.Carr R.M. et al.Academic careers and the COVID-19 pandemic: reversing the tide.Sci. Transl. Med. 2021; 13eabe7189Crossref PubMed Scopus (67) Google Scholar, 5.Myers K.R. et al.Unequal effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on scientists.Nat. Hum. Behav. 2020; 4: 880-883Crossref PubMed Scopus (472) Google Scholar]. Undeniably, the pandemic has taken a significant toll on the mental well-being of clinicians, healthcare workers, researchers, students, editors, and publishers, to name but a few; individuals have coped and dealt with restrictions and isolation with varying levels of success that also depend on the day, month, and season. The wounds inflicted by the pandemic on the scientific community run deep and will certainly take time to heal. Despite everything, science continues because of the compassion, sacrifice, and endurance of our communities. Where possible, COVID-19 tests have been made freely available, allowing research to progress in some formats; those with access to their laboratories have worked grueling hours to advance coronavirus research, while those barred from their space have embraced creative approaches to continue their own, still vital, research. Group meetings and departmental visits via virtual platforms are ensuring that past connections are maintained, while still providing a path forward for forging new links. Many conferences have either been postponed or converted into virtual and/or hybrid events, providing and expanding scientific access to many who might not have otherwise been able to attend. Scientific editors have managed unprecedented volumes of manuscripts, accelerating scientific publishing to meet the acute demands of our communities while maintaining scientific integrity; relevant COVID-19 research and other materials have also been made freely available to the publicix. As Trends editors, we have worked closely with our communities to address numerous aspects of the pandemic, from how it impacts science and scientists, to synthesizing the explosion of data in an accessible mannerx. The Trends journals, in conjunction with primary research journals at Cell Press, have and are making their utmost effort to disseminate accurate scientific findings on SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 and the editors remain confident that these serve as an aid to advance progress towards eradicating or mitigating emerging viral threats. From another angle, the pandemic has captured the public's attention and interest and, in response, scientists have used various means, including social media, to discuss COVID-19. These exposés cover all aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as communicating basic immunological concepts with easy-to-follow animations, disseminating accurate science behind the effectiveness of wearing a mask as well as the beneficial effects and safety of SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, while dispelling myths and erroneous assumptions regarding said vaccines, or even conspiracies on the origin of the virus, among many misconceptionsxi [6.Editorial Scientists, keep an open line of communication with the public.Nat. Med. 2020; 26: 1495Crossref PubMed Scopus (23) Google Scholar,7.Thorp H.H. Scientists' lanes and headwinds.Science. 2021; 372: 217Crossref PubMed Scopus (13) Google Scholar]. We hope that our communities continue contributing to these successful public outreach efforts, even after we emerge from this pandemic, and that the communication and support of each other will remain beyond these trying times. Collective endeavors have led and continue to lead to astounding scientific achievements, including the sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, solving the protein structures of the virus and the host factors involved in viral entry, characterizing the mechanisms of viral transmission, identifying various aspects of adaptive and humoral immunity to the virus, as well as the continued genomic surveillance of emerging viral variants of concern. With such examples, it is clear that our communities continue to work tirelessly and collaboratively to characterize and develop tools to combat the pandemic. Nations with the means to do so are providing substantial funding for COVID-19 research, helping to streamline clinical trials and expedite approvals for life-saving therapies and vaccines. The collective efforts, unity, and collaboration on a global scale render possible our ability to move therapies from bench to bedside; this is the ultimate reminder of the many ways in which we are coping with the pandemic and proudly stating: 'we are all in this together'. As the pandemic continues to run its uncertain course, we shall prevail by remembering what we have all experienced, witnessed, and endured over these past 2 years, whether apart or together. iwww.vogue.co.uk/news/article/keyworkers-july-2020-issue-british-vogue iiwww.gov.uk/government/news/ukaeas-helping-hand-for-the-nhs iiihttps://cen.acs.org/safety/lab-safety/Getting-back-lab-during-COVID-19/98/i19 ivwww.science.org/content/article/pandemic-pivot-how-scientists-answered-call-diagnostic-tests vwww.bordertelegraph.com/news/national/18826659.pandemic-threatens-research-early-career-scientists-look-leave/ vihttps://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/18/health/coronavirus-research-gender-bias-scn/index.html viiwww.forbes.com/sites/ashleystahl/2021/04/02/struggles-for-working-parents-are-likely-to-remain-post-pandemic/?sh=437133ed6856 viiiwww.cell.com/trends/voices ixwww.cell.com/COVID-19 xwww.cell.com/trends/collections/apart-together-pandemic xihttps://www.the-scientist.com/careers/science-and-policy-collide-during-the-pandemic-67882