COVID-19 – Long Now Boston

Reforming Medicine: Applying the Lessons of SARS-CoV-2

Event Summary February 1 02021: A conversation on SARS-COV2 inspired innovations, with Preston Estep and Florian Krammer.

Synopsis: The COVID-19 pandemic has been the single most disruptive event to strike the Globe in almost a century. Those disruptions have disproportionately affected those with the least resources. Yet the pandemic has also been a catalyst for innovations which will have long term benefits. Among those are positive innovations in the biomedical field, specifically virus identification, advance preparation and advanced vaccine development and deployment, as well as critical lessons in global and national public health policy and administration.

A Long Now Boston Virtual Conversation

Long Now Boston has held two virtual conversations in the past month to identify how the Covid-19 pandemic is affecting human society and culture and what the implications may be for us in the long term. The first conversation, with Long Now Boston volunteers, was held April 6. The second, open to Charter Members, was convened on May 11. While the perspectives are varied and the future trajectory of the virus and its impacts are highly uncertain, one thing seems clear: The COVID-19 pandemic is likely to be the most significant global disruption since the mid 20^th century. How we collectively respond to it will shape the history of the 21^st century.