In June 2020, after getting sick with COVID-19 and subsequently developing Long Covid, Vicky van der Togt started advocating for Long Covid recognition, research & rehabilitation. She joined a Dutch COVID advocacy group which focused on providing correct information about the virus and its consequences. With this team she initiated different community-led projects, such as starting a lawsuit against the Dutch state aimed at making education safer during the pandemic, developing educational campaigns to provide correct information about COVID-19 to the general public, taking legal action to correct misinformation listed on several government websites, and providing co2 monitors to schools.

She quickly noticed that there were similar COVID-focused initiatives starting up in other countries. Seeing a need for a unified approach and a broader spotlight on these initiatives, as well as an opportunity for her to facilitate the exchange of information as well as collaboration between communities and countries, she started an umbrella platform for (often grassroots and community-based) COVID-focused initiatives from around the world.

What started out as an impulsive idea sparked by the tiniest bit of hope of making a change quickly turned into an alliance with over 40 partner groups from all over the world. Together they informed the public, advocated for recognition, research and support for Long Covid, vaccine equity and more. Together with different network members, she initiated and published important research, influenced policy makers, and encouraged many more people to take action.

In April ‘21 the network partnered with Research-Aid Networks to be able to provide better scientific analyses and recommendations for infection prevention with the help of Dr Jeremy Rossman and partners of the organization. With the emergence of other viral pathogens that quickly spread over the course of 2021, there was a need for the platform to address these other diseases as well. For this reason, it was decided to change the name to Pandemic-Aid Networks.

As director of development for Research-Aid Networks Vicky aims to bring sustainable growth to the organization through strategic planning, the development of new research ideas, outreach and partnership development, while continuing her work focused on facilitating collaboration and assisting with projects within the organization.

Contact Vicky van der Togt: vicky (at) researchaidnetworks.org