Institut Pasteur response: new section on pasteur.fr to showcase the efforts of the Institut Pasteur community in tackling the unprecedented health crisis

Since January 2020, the Institut Pasteur in Paris and its International Network of 32 institutes have been highly active worldwide in responding with science to the pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus (see key stages in the Institut Pasteur's response).

The considerable efforts of the Institut Pasteur community have given rise to a huge number of research projects, led by ever growing scientific teams. The resulting advances in knowledge about the virus itself, its pathogenesis and epidemiology and the search for diagnostic and therapeutic tools gave the Institut Pasteur a voice in the media from an early stage, and it has continued to be sought by media outlets for its expertise, becoming a recognized expert for the general public.

At the same time, a wide range of resources have been made available on the Institut Pasteur website, pasteur.fr, to guide the public and answer their questions.

A fact sheet on the virus was published on January 21, 2020 and is updated almost on a daily basis, providing information about the progression of the outbreak, the latest knowledge on the disease and questions that remain unanswered. The fact sheet soon became one of the most viewed pages on the website, with pasteur.fr becoming an information hub recognized for its reliability. Several press releases, news items and videos have also been and continue to be published.

In early March, the page "Coronavirus: All the news from the Institut Pasteur about COVID-19" was created in the press area to group together most of this content, initially aimed at journalists and media outlets, which expressed a high demand for information.

An additional web page was also created to showcase the Institut Pasteur's coronavirus-related projects, the majority of which are supported and coordinated by the Coronavirus Task Force. To date, the Institut Pasteur has supported nearly 50 projects, and several other projects are also being carried out in partnership or with the support of third-party organizations.

Since there is now a large volume of content, a new dedicated "SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19" space was developed in May and June to better organize these resources and boost searchability. The new, more user-friendly space is now a separate section on pasteur.fr, improving the visibility of the content for the general public and the media.

Research projects are showcased at the top of the page, directly accessible from the home page, with a banner entitled "SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19." A keyword search has been added to help users find their way around the projects, which can also be browsed by scientific theme (currently eight themes but this is likely to change) or by geographical area (funded Institut Pasteur projects are not only based in Paris but throughout the Institut Pasteur International Network).

Press releases, news items and videos related to the topics are now displayed in a news stream in reverse chronological order to highlight the most recent information and demonstrate the ongoing commitment of the entire campus.

The fact sheet, which has also been reorganized to help users find the information they are looking for, is still clearly visible in the new space.

Check out the new "SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19" section on pasteur.fr.

The space will be regularly updated with new projects and advances in research