Summer School in Antwerp to prepare for new pandemics: the story of a UniCamillus student

From 19 to 22 September 2023, a Summer School on the theme “Pandemic Preparedness” was held at the University of Antwerp. Thanks to the intermediation of Professor Wolf, UniCamillus professor of General Pathology and external evaluator of the initiative also sponsored by the University of Paris, two students from the International Medical University of Rome were able to take part. The experience was very formative for both of us in various respects. This is the story told by one of them, Chiara Bellome:

“I took this opportunity presented to me with great enthusiasm. The Summer School took place at the facilities of the University of Antwerp in partnership with the university hospital (UZA) and the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITG). The course focused on how to prepare front-line healthcare personnel for the management of a ‘virus This course initially conceived for the Flanders healthcare system was then designed as a model applicable to all European healthcare systems.

They were four days full of content. On the first day, we addressed topics such as the analysis of awareness of the risk of a future pandemic, the different phases of its evolution and its lasting impact on society, such as the long covid phenomenon. The second day was dedicated to the analysis of the management of epidemics, including those at hospital level, through exercises and simulations. On the third day, we explored the importance of vaccination, focusing on building trust in vaccines and the communication strategies to be adopted in society. Finally, during the last day of work, we paid a visit to the HLIU, the Isolation Unit of the UZA hospital, carrying out practical exercises in the field relating to the steps of the behavioral protocol to be followed in the event of a suspected carrier of a highly toxic pathogen. risk of pandemic spread.
The experience was exciting because there was intense discussion and fruitful collaboration with other students and healthcare workers from all over Europe, in a cutting-edge hospital context, both in teaching and in the training experience.

Preparing for potential pandemics comes with many challenges. Primary care healthcare workers, such as family doctors, emergency rooms and ambulances, play a crucial role in managing new threats and are often the first to respond to emergencies. Missed or late diagnoses can trigger local outbreaks and favor their spread, therefore, it is essential to train them adequately to recognize risky situations to promptly alert the national health system for an effective and adequate response.

The sudden emergence of threats, such as COVID-19 and Monkeypox in Europe, demonstrates the variability of emergencies and it is essential to prepare for the worst-case scenarios.

In 2018, WHO introduced ‘virus X preparedness’, with viral haemorrhagic fever as an indicator, given the high mortality and risk of nosocomial infections. The course develops a program for front-line healthcare workers to improve alertness, recognition of infectious risks and responses. It is the first of its kind, with the aim of creating a behavioral prototype to face new pandemics, based on the validity of the technology and its functionality, validating the practical feasibility in the health emergency”.

Photo taken by UniCamillus student Chiara Bellome.