INTRODUCTION

dear reader, We are excited to share with you a special issue of The Meducator dedicated exclusively to COVID-19. Since March, this pandemic has continued to alter many dimensions of our daily lives within a short amount of time and has challenged us both as individuals and as a community. As seen in the cover illustrated by Wendy Zhang, the reflection of the virus in front of us acts as a reminder of humanity’s progress thus far and the obstacles that await us. Our executive team felt that it was important to take this as an opportunity to reflect on and expand our knowledge of the progressing situation. Moreover, we wanted to provide an avenue for our readers to do the same. Due to the unpredictable and ever-evolving nature of COVID-19, we would like to remind you that the information presented in this issue is merely a representation of the current body of knowledge, and is subject to change.

With the pandemic highlighting the influence that key figures have on global responses, we are excited to debut a brand new article type, MeduStory. MeduStory shines a spotlight on an important individual within the health sciences, highlighting their contributions to their field and their journey to prominence. In this issue, Aaron Wen and Sophie Zarb provide a brief history on the early life of Dr. Anthony Fauci, and illustrate his vital contributions to pandemic responses over the years.

Accompanying MeduStory, Nick Teller and Meera Chopra showcase the impacts of COVID-19 across the globe, and how countries have chosen to respond to the crisis. Conversely, Adrian Wong, Nuri Song, and Zahra Abdallah employ a more bottom-up approach, examining how the pandemic affects individuals both physically and mentally. Finally, Dr. Karen Mossman, the Vice-President of Research at McMaster University and Professor in the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, highlights her approach to understanding SARS-CoV-2.

This special edition was the result of collaboration between the executive team and many passionate individuals from the editorial board and graphics and design team. Thank you to everyone involved in this project, and to our readers for providing us with support to explore pertinent global issues. We also want to thank healthcare workers across the globe for their continued dedication during these tumultous times.

May you continue to be curious and inquisitive, regardless of the circumstances.

Sincerely, The Meducator Executive Team 2020-2021

CONTRIBUTORS Executive Team Daniel Rayner, Editor-in-Chief Karishma Mehta, Editor-in-Chief Aaron Wen, Managing Editor Sophie Zarb, Managing Editor Peri Ren, Creative Director Wendy Zhang, Creative Director Zahra Abdallah, Subcommittee Advisor Shadi Sadeghian, MeduCollab Director Michal Moshkovich, MeduCollab Director David Klitovchenko, Video Manager Editors Adrian Wong Matthew Lynn Meera Chopra Nick Teller Nuri Song Rohan Aananth

Graphic Designers Annisa Siu Manreet Dhaliwal

WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR SPONSORS FOR THEIR GENEROUS SUPPORT