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1 Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: Warning the world
Tedros is the director-general of the World Health Organization (WHO) since 2017. In December 2019, the WHO received the first reports of a virus causing pneumonia in Wuhan, China. On January 27, Tedros met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and 3 days later described Covid-19 as a global health threat, forcing authorities to respond to the impending pandemic.
3 days later described Covid-19 as a global health threat, forcing authorities to respond
2 Verena Mohaupt: Polar patroller
At the end of 2019, the largest scientific mission to the Arctic began: Multidisciplinary Observatory for the Study of the Arctic (MOSAiC), with the aim of collecting data that will help scientists predict effects of global warming in the Arctic region. Verena, designed a survival training program for the participants. Together with her team, Verena protected the researchers from the cold and when needed, even from polar bears, ensuring timely escape.
Verena protected the researchers from the cold and when needed, even from polar bears, ensuring timely escape.
3 Gonzalo Moratorio: Coronavirus hunter
Gonzalo is a virologist at the Pasteur Institute in Uruguay. He predicted very early that increased demands for diagnostic tests around the world would make it impossible for his country to obtain tests and reagents. Together with his colleagues, he developed a diagnostic test for covid-19, making a decisive contribution to limiting its spread in Uruguay.
he developed a diagnostic test for covid-19, making a decisive contribution to limiting its spread in Uruguay
4 Adi Utarini: Mosquito commander
Adi and her team have managed to reduce the incidence of dengue fever by 77% in a large area of Indonesia. After years of research, the team has been able to produce mosquitoes that cannot transmit the virus to humans. They then released the mosquitoes into the environment, thus limiting the population of infectious mosquitoes.
managed to reduce the incidence of dengue fever by 77% in a large area of Indonesia.
5 Kathrin Jansen: Vaccine leader
As the head of research and development at Pfizer, Kathrin took the initiative to prove that the company’s new mRNA vaccine is safe to administer to humans. Together with her team they managed to pass the vaccine through all the necessary evaluations and clinical trials in just 210 days. When it was announced that the vaccine was over 90% effective, she celebrated her success with tears in her eyes and a glass of champagne shared with her husband. Then she went back to work
When it was announced that the vaccine was over 90% effective, she celebrated her success with tears in her eyes
6 Zhang Yongzhen: Genome sharer
Virologist Zhang shared the entire genome of the virus with the global scientific community a few days after the outbreak of covid-19 in China, against the bans the government had imposed on the publication of information about the virus. This was the first weapon against the coronavirus, as scientific community used this information to produce diagnostic tests and, finally, vaccines.
shared the entire genome of the virus with the global scientific community a few days after the outbreak of covid-19 in China, against the bans the government had imposed
7 Chanda Prescod-Weinstein: A force in physics
During 2020, the cosmologist Chanda, among other things, won 2 funding grants, formed her own group, wrote a book and started another. In June 2020, together with other scientists, she launched the “Strike for Black Lives” initiative. This campaign demanded institutes to fight racism in the field of science. It quickly gained publicity and had a great impact thanks to the accomplished scientists who signed on.
In June 2020, together with other scientists, she launched the “Strike for Black Lives” initiative.
8 Li Lanjuan: Lockdown architect
Epidemiologist Li arrived in Wuhan on January 18, 2020 and just a few days later demanded the immediate lockdown of the entire city. Her decision to impose a curfew on a city of 11 million has helped control the pandemic in China. She stayed in Wuhan to help people diagnosed with covid-19, became a symbol of selflessness and was often described as “Grandma Li” in social media.
Her decision to impose a curfew on a city of 11 million has helped control the pandemic in China.
9 Jacinda Ardern: Crisis leader
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda, announced strict measures in the country after the first 6 cases of coronavirus. A 5 million people country had this way only 2000 cases and 25 deaths. Throughout the crisis, Jacinda was constantly informed about the latest scientific developments in relation to coronavirus and informed the citizens in simple and accessible words.
A 5 million people country had this way only 2000 cases and 25 deaths.
10 Anthony Fauci: Science’s defender
Anthony, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the United States, has guided six presidents and an entire nation through fears of bioweapon attacks and outbreaks of HIV, Ebola and Zika. In the last year he became the doctor of the nation as he was the one who advised the government and informed the world about the pandemic. Often against Donald Trump’s wish, he did his best to inform the world about the actions of science and to explain why it is an issue that concerns the whole nation.
the one who advised the government and informed the world about the pandemic.
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