Dear colleagues and friends,
As Acting President of EAN, this is not an executive page I ever expected to write. It is one I will certainly not forget.
As I write this, Covid-19 has affected over 587,000 people and caused over 27,000 deaths. People from all over the world are making great sacrifices, from social distancing to sustaining economic loss. Healthcare workers are on the frontline, and neurologists are increasingly involved as well. Just like anyone else, we are all concerned. We worry for ourselves, our families, our friends, our patients and our community. We may also feel overwhelmed by the scale of the crisis and the demands that are placed on us. In this dramatic days, I want you to know that my best wishes and thoughts are with all of you. The EAN, as the home of neurology, is always there for you too. We are a community and that means standing together in times of adversity and hardship, making us stronger than we could ever be alone.
Right now, our officers are working hard and quickly to ensure that vital first-hand knowledge of COVID-19 is shared effectively with colleagues across the globe. Experts from our Scientific Panels will share their knowledge and experience so that all our colleagues may benefit and be better prepared. We are setting up the EAN Core COVID-19 initiative as a one-stop-shop for our colleagues to easily access vital information on the virus via our website, EANpages, social media and any means at our disposal.
Though we will not meet our colleagues in Paris this May for the EAN Congress, we will meet virtually. The EAN Virtual Congress is one initiative in our drive to sustain our services to the neurology community, and I am proud that we can make this available free of charge during this difficult time. The Virtual Congress will also include a special session dedicated to COVID-19 in order to disseminate the latest knowledge and experience of the virus.
My message to all of you right now, on behalf of everyone at EAN, is that we are here to support you. I know that together with our colleagues in every healthcare profession we will prevail.
Truly yours,
Claudio L. Bassetti, EAN Acting President
