COVID-19 casts a long shadow

After a blistering heatwave at the beginning of August, the days have already started to get cooler as we mark the first official day of autumn. School has started again, after almost six months, and students are returning to universities and colleges. Even as life begins to return to some semblance of normality, COVID-19 remains a serious threat. Yet there are also other serious issues that have taken a backseat since the pandemic hit.

The World Health Organization (WHO) states that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global concern. AMR threatens our ability to treat common infections and increases the risk of medical procedures such as transplants, chemotherapy, chronic disease management and major surgery. Read more about why AMR should be treated with as much urgency as COVID-19 on page 16.

Cancer treatment has also taken a backseat due to COVID-19, with many patients unable and also unwilling to attend hospital appointments for diagnosis and treatment. However, with current research and the new drug treatments that emerge from this, cancer patients are surviving for longer. In our article on page 18, read why, now more than ever, a shift in perspective is needed – from seeing cancer as an intense battle that is either won or lost, to viewing it as a condition that, given the right treatment, can potentially be managed over time.

As lockdown restrictions continue to ease, some people are slowly returning to work while others continue to work from home. As remote working becomes part of the new normal, in our cover story on page 30 Chris Ross questions if remote working can put two-thirds of us back on the road to engaged employment, as a survey reveals that, pre-pandemic, 66% of the world’s workforce weren’t engaged in their jobs.

As the days draw in and a long winter looms, we can also look ahead to a new spring and the possibility of a vaccine, in the hopes that this would finally curb the overwhelming pandemic. Read more about the search for a vaccine in our news coverage starting on page 8. I hope you enjoy this issue!

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