Understanding Covid-19 and learning from the pandemic.

How does the Covid-19 virus spread from person to person? Why is it able to trigger severe symptoms in some infected people? And how can future pandemics be better managed?

To answer these questions we have joined forces unlike ever before: Across the boundaries of our Research Fields, seven Helmholtz centers are working closely together in a joint research campaign on the topic of Covid-19.

They are investigating how SARS-CoV2 spreads via aerosols and droplets, and are using their findings to develop devices that filter the pathogens from the air. Our scientists are also researching the mechanisms by which the virus settles in the body and causes diseases. Their analysis will also help to identify which viruses harbor the risk of jumping from animals to humans earlier on.

The pandemic has shown that our healthcare system must change in order to be better prepared for future pandemics. It lacks precise data for assessing the medical situation. We are therefore developing a data-based early warning system for local authorities and communities. At the same time, we continue to keep an eye on global developments: With the help of data from all over the world, we can compare which approaches to combating the pandemic have proven to be particularly effective.

In this way, we are not only arming ourselves against Covid, but also against future medical crises.

Image: Andrii Vodolazhskyi/Shutterstock