Science at UM [S01-ep27]: From the Seventh Wave to the Beach

[Podcast] - Published on July 6, 2022 in Health, Social Issues & Disabilities, Science and Society

In this final issue of “Science at UM Before Summer,” Mircea Sofonea, an epidemiologist at the Mivegec laboratory, provides an update on the seventh wave of COVID-19. It’s an opportunity to reflect on media coverage of the pandemic and the outlook for research.

For the lucky ones among you, you’ll be hitting the road for vacation in a few days; for the rest of you, you’ll have to wait a few more weeks. To help you pass the time, Divergence FM and the University of Montpellier are offering you this moment of relaxation:

You’re lying on the beach. Your fingers run through the warm sand. Through your closed eyelids, the sun casts a warm, red glow. You can smell the sunscreen. A few yards away, a flock of seagulls is fighting over the remains of a tuna sandwich left behind by a distracted little girl.

You’re in a good place. You open your eyes to gaze out at the vast blue sea right in front of you. Listen closely. Above the shouts of children and the cries of doughnut vendors, they drift toward you. One wave, two waves, three waves, four, five, six… You see it coming… the seventh wave… The one with the rising curves, the super-positive friends who cancel dinner, Juliette’s teacher who’s still absent, or the plane ticket to Morocco that flies away without you.

Following Portugal, the United Kingdom, and Germany, France is now seeing infection rates rise again. Cases have increased by 57% across Europe over the past two weeks. Malta has seen a 203% increase, the Netherlands and Luxembourg a 162% increase, and France a 118% increase. I can already hear you saying:

– “Oh no! That’s enough—I don’t want to hear about it! ”

Well, we’ll tell you about it, but we promise not to be alarmist—just providing information and explaining things in simple terms, so you don’t end up believing every old wives’ tale out there.

And since we’re fortunate enough to have Mircea Sofonea with us—an epidemiologist at Mivegec and one of France’s leading experts on the subject—we’ll take this opportunity to discuss how this crisis has changed the work and lives of these researchers, who have suddenly found themselves in the media spotlight more than they ever imagined.

At UM Science, you’ve got the program—let’s get started!

Production: University of Montpellier/Divergence FM
Host: Lucie Lecherbonnier
Interview: Aline Périault/Lucie Lecherbonnier
Directed by: Adeline Floch’

Tune in to the show “A LUM LA SCIENCE” on Divergence FM 93.9

Keywords: Science at UM, COVID-19, Health, Company