A Strange Juxtaposition
The beginning of the pandemic has become this weird, hazy time in our minds. At the time, though, it was so visceral. It dominated our thoughts at every moment.
At the Toronto High Containment Facility where we have the largest containment Level 3 lab in Ontario, we would never compare our pandemic experience to that of our clinical colleagues. We weren’t on the front lines dealing with patients, and watching the overall stress on the health care system. But, we were putting our all into running the lab and making sure it was working as efficiently as possible to learn everything we could about the new virus.
I’m a virologist by training. This is what I have wanted to be since I was 15 years old. I’ve always been fascinated by viruses. A virus is a tiny microbe that doesn’t even really classify as a life form. It needs to get into another cell to replicate itself. And yet, it has the potential to obliterate a person and put society at a standstill.
In March 2020, I stood behind a microscope with the first culture of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Canada. With our work in the lab investigating COVID-19, I had a feeling of scientific curiosity. But, at the same time, I also felt devastated by what I knew was happening outside and the potential of what could happen. It was a strange juxtaposition of feelings.
Now, we’re using what we learned from the pandemic to investigate future health threats, such as antimicrobial resistance. Our memories of 2020 will help us figure out what to do better the next time a pandemic happens. We have a lot of the tools. In the future, it will be a question of how we use them.
Natasha Christie-Holmes (PhD ’08) is the director, strategy & partnerships at the Emerging and Pandemic Infections Consortium at the University of Toronto.