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. Back then very little was known about the sequelae of COVID-19, so there was a real need for a spotlight on these long-term effects of the virus. Desperate to protect other people from experiencing what she was going through, she decided to speak out.

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 to protect citizens, such as starting a lawsuit against the Dutch state aimed at safe education during the first year of the pandemic, developing educational campaigns aimed at providing correct information about COVID-19 and providing CO2-monitors to schools, and taking legal action to correct misinformation listed on several government websites.

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 the Zero Covid Alliance, 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 stand up for what is right.

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.