EJC President Dr. Moshe Kantor gave opening remarks at the online conference: “COVID-19: Sharing the international lessons learned”, organised by the UK’s Royal Society of Medicine, in partnership with the Kantor Charitable Foundation.
The conference brought together leaders and experts from around the world to share the key clinical lessons about COVID-19. In a series of four panel discussions, health experts considered the key lessons learned during the pandemic, examined the most effective ways of treating COVID-19 around the world, and evaluated the human impact of the current crisis, in order to prepare for future management and share ways of mitigating the impact of future outbreaks.
During his opening remarks, Dr. Kantor addressed the social consequences of the current pandemic: “COVID-19 has sharply aggravated an already critical situation in the area of extremism. We are seeing harsh manifestations of multidirectional racism. Therefore, combatting this pandemic has become more than a global issue – it’s an existential fight for our future.”
“History has shown us that pandemic, and the chaos it creates, can cause lasting damage, not just in terms of global economic shock, mass unemployment and widespread uncertainty. It can create fertile soil for the politics of despair and division. Remember that the last great pandemic, the Spanish flu, was quickly followed by the great depression and a rise in extremism which took over the power in Europe and division which led to the tragedy of the Second World War,” Dr. Kantor stated.
“The lessons from the past require us to set aside our own agendas in the collaborative pursuit of lasting solutions. In this respect, the global medical research and pharmaceutical community are leading the way. Now, as in the past, incredible feats can be achieved against seemingly impossible timelines but it only happens when driven by a powerful and shared goal.”
The conference is available on demand upon registration following this link