In a month that brought the abundant thunderstorm, for centuries predicted by popular wisdom, the freedom restriction seems to have become too deeply embedded in the collective conscience. In May, we were asked for trust and confidence to give back to the spirit the freedom that the body has already claimed. We started to take the first steps to end lockdown, which still feels very strange, in the hope that, with due respect for the fundamental safety measures (because the virus is still with us), it will be able to get back into everyone's daily lives.
In May, we remain attentive and hopeful, maintaining the usual rigor and professionalism. We followed the news in detail and shared knowledge, recommendations and our vision regarding the future.
And it was precisely to the future that we looked first, with Professor Maria do Carmo Fonseca’s message of encouragement to the new generations, prompting young people to make changes and calling for the cultivation of Science, essential to the life of Humanity.
We focused on food security in times of pandemic with the comment of Professor Joana Sousa on the impact of Covid-19 on the rate of obesity and the quality of Portuguese food. Therefore, attentive to the needs of many families, we foster the idea of online donation, supporting the cause of the Food Bank’s Food Collection, with which the Faculty to Help Group has always collaborated.
With the lifting of the state of emergency, we started to move towards the end of lockdown and we understood the importance of resuming the normality of medical specialties with the clarification of Professor Rui Tato Marinho.
We remain interventional and made recommendations to the government to improve the communication strategy regarding the use of face masks and shields. We proved to be equally prudent in a new phase that invites the opening of society. We assessed the risks of opening the schools and remind that there are no 100% correct measures.
As such, we reinforced the need to comply with containment measures in order to prevent the spread of covid-19. We supported the Mask for All campaign and continued tirelessly to contribute to the production of face shields for health professionals, a commendable effort of the Institute of Anatomy.
Given that our main concern is the safety and well-being of the entire academic community, and of all those who relate to it, we have placed ourselves again at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic, coordinating a testing programme created by the University Lisbon with the collaboration of all its Faculties.
We also looked at the study of the virus genome with Professor Francisco Antunes and followed the evolution of the development of a vaccine, looking at what has already been done in the research of other coronaviruses with Professor Miguel Castanho.
Also with Professor Miguel Castanho, we analysed the resistance of SARS-CoV-2 and understood better how the new coronavirus behaves. We also highlighted the clinical trials with plasma of patients recovered from Covid-19 and the analysis by Professor Ana Espada de Sousa about this therapy.
We continued to show solidarity towards our health professionals, collecting aid that comes from the country and from the other side of the world, and we continued to share wisdom and experiences, debating new ideas in yet another cycle of FMUL Talks.
We entered the iMM lab and saw how the covid-19 diagnostic tests are performed. But the doors did not close here. We visited the Clinical Pathology service of Santa Maria Hospital and attested the dedication and competence of an “exceptional” team, in a visit conducted by Professor José Melo Cristino and worth repeating.
We continued our journey, paving the way in what we already call the battlefield, and we followed the “challenging recovery of Covd-19” in the reports of doctors and nurses who are at the front line in Santa Maria.
We also visited the quieter and more invisible side of the pandemic. We immersed ourselves in the spectrum of emotions and assessed the state of Mental Health in the country. We reflected on the importance of strengthening ties and maintaining emotional relationships in times of pandemic, and we carefully considered the side effects of Covid-19 on students.
But we didn't stop there. We crossed the border and looked beyond the pandemic, because there is much more to research beyond Covid-19. We have successfully studied new and improved ways to treat obesity and welcomed the possibility that we can “live longer without ageing”.
We took an important step in the fight against malaria and shared the good news from Professor Miguel Prudêncio, as well as the entire team of researchers, about the significant progress towards a safe and effective vaccine.
This month, which is also the month of the heart, we designed a distance cardiovascular rehabilitation programme, applauded the granting of the João Lobo Antunes Award in Bioethics and continued to challenge our students, promoting the interaction between mentors and mentees.
United by “similar problems”, as mentioned by our Director, Professor Fausto J. Pinto, we encouraged our students who started the exams’ season in May, and we thank the support of a community that showed, once again, its resilience and high competence in another accomplished task.
And in a month that brought renewed hope in a warm and lighter daily commitment, the weight of the farewell to Professor Jacinto Monteiro was heavy. We will always remember the calm and wise way he has participated in the life of our School, as well as the brilliance of a career that has turned Orthopaedics into a place of excellence, both regarding teaching and clinical practice.
Henceforth, the commitment is to continue to do more and better, adapting with the same firmness, strengthening confidence in the future and reinventing our days so that the light we now see extending on the horizon, may expand to the innermost part of all and remind us, at each challenge, of the place where all doubts are dissipated and where strength doesn’t run out.
Sofia Tavares
Editorial Team