The COVID-19 pandemic is in the rear-view mirror, so what did we learn about mask wearing, vaccines and prevention? And how can you stay healthy to face a future pandemic?

Professor Tim Spector, one of the world’s top 100 most cited scientists, looks back on the pandemic and what we learnt about symptoms, transmission and vaccines in the early stages. We’ll reflect on ZOE’s role - collecting data from millions of people on their symptoms, identifying COVID hotspots and shaping public understanding of the virus.

Then we discuss the possibility of the next pandemic, and how we can individually protect ourselves against it. By the end of this episode, listeners feel more equipped to stay safe in the face of another global pandemic.

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Timecodes

00:00 What did we learn from COVID?

01:44 Quickfire questions

04:22 ZOE's response to the pandemic

10:10 5 crucial days

14:06 How new symptoms were discovered

23:40 Did the virus come from a lab?

28:00 Were face masks worth it?

29:02 The data on lockdowns

36:01 The economic costs

37:50 Effectiveness of vaccines

40:04 Side effects of vaccines

46:10 Is there a cure for Long COVID

48:39 The role of food choices

51:24 How to fight off infections

52:30 The risks of junk food

📚Books by our ZOE Scientists

The Food For Life Cookbook

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati

Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector

Free resources from ZOE

Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition

Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks 

Mentioned in today's episode

The WHO estimates of excess mortality associated with the COVID-19 pandemic (2022), published in Nature

Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations (2023), published in Nature Reviews Microbiology

The role of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing post-COVID-19 thromboembolic and cardiovascular complications

Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here.

Episode transcripts are available here.