COVID CLASSROOM

Cristina Fornaguera, co-responsible for Covinanovax at IQS-URL

Can cancer vaccine research be adapted to create a vaccine to prevent COVID-19 infection in healthy patients? Cristina Fornaguera explains the peculiarities of this vaccine and how to adapt it to new SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Jaume Abella, Cybersecurity master coordinator at La Salle-URL

The increase in teleworking during the pandemic forced personal computers that were not sufficiently protected to be put on the corporate network. Cybercrime tripled and, according to Dr Abella, could soon cost 11 trillion dollars a year.

Roger Mallol, GTM research group of La Salle-URL

Bioinformatics has become an essential field for tackling the pandemic, achieving goals such as the sequencing of the virus genome, which has made it possible to study its biology and function. Mallol explains the opportunities of this discipline.

Òscar Mateos, URL Rector's Delegate for Impulse Agenda 2030

African countries have extensive experience in health crisis management, so why don't we follow their example? Dr Mateos explains what makes the African Union and the African CDC referents and what we can learn from African societies.

Joel Montané, SAFE research group at Blanquerna-URL

The well-known 3 "P's" (protection, prevention and promotion) are basic pillars of public health in our society and have been the focus of European governments throughout the coronavirus health crisis. What could we have improved?

Jordi Longás, PSITIC research group at Blanquerna-URL

The economic crisis resulting from the COVID-19 has had serious effects on many households, resulting in an increase in precariousness that especially affects vulnerable children and adolescents, victims of a growing educational and digital divide.

Montserrat Esquerda, director of Borja Institute of Bioethics-URL

COVID-19 meant that medical teams had to live through very delicate situations and make complicated decisions without being fully prepared, according to Dr Montserrat Esquerda.

Francisco José Cambra, Professor of Borja Institute of Bioethics-URL

During the pandemic, healthcare personnel have had to face an enormous ethical problem: the distribution of resources among patients. How do we favour those who will benefit most, what criteria do we follow and who should dictate them?

Joan Garcia del Muro, Professor of Faculty of Philosophy-URL

In recent years we have witnessed how fear, uncertainty and distrust in political leaders have favoured the deployment of phenomena such as fake news. Speeches by supposed experts, economic interests... What and who is behind it? We spoke to J.G. del Muro.

Jordi Ficapal, Director of the IQS-URL Chair in Responsible Tourism and Innovation

Before the pandemic, tourism was dragging serious systemic fatigue and nothing foresaw that the activity could be stopped to rethink it. COVID-19 has created the opportunity to rethink the tourism model and make it more sustainable.

Andrés-Amador García, Head of Industrial Engineering Dept. IQS-URL

Coronavirus Makers was a citizen initiative formed by scientists and entrepreneurs with the common goal of designing, producing and distributing protective materials to alleviate the shortcomings of hospitals. Dr García was one of them.

Encarna Ruiz, Head of research ESDiColor_LAB

The international association Intercolor, which ESDi represents in Spain, analyzes social trends that translate into colour trends. As Dr Encarna Ruiz explains, Intercolor will determine next season's colours, which are sure to reflect the pandemic.

Francesc Torralba, Director of ETHOS-URL Chair

Can we learn any ethical lessons from the pandemic? What values have we acquired? Have they been of any use to us or will we forget them when it is all over? The philosopher Dr Torralba reflects on the value of care, self-care and care for the most vulnerable groups.

Mark Dangerfield, Director of IUSM Vidal i Barraquer-URL

Has the pandemic led to an increase in adolescent mental health disorders, and has it highlighted the shortcomings of the system? The leader of ECID, a pioneering clinical intervention project for adolescents at high emotional risk, explains.

Marc Garcia, Student Life Manager IQS-URL

IQS-URL organizes the annual Student Life Day, with a wide range of cultural and social activities. In the 2019-20 day, they highlighted the sessions to help students to have tools and internal resources to to deal with situations of uncertainty such as the pandemic.

Pere Joan Giralt, professor of FESTS Pere Tarrés-URL

FESTS has created a monitoring and psychosocial support service for its students to help those who experienced complex situations as a result of COVID-19. This space for listening and guidance has been so positively valued that it will continue to operate.