health. Health inequalities in society in terms of viral transmission, access to healthcare as well as the ability to access digital health have also never been as apparent [17]. The final chapter is written by Professor Anita K. Simonds, the ERS President during part of the pandemic. The chapter covers the development of COVID-19 vaccines. It details how it was possible for vaccines to be developed rapidly using prior knowledge of coronaviruses and existing vaccines, alongside immense collaborative work [18]. We would like to thank all invited authors and reviewers for their willingness to make time in their busy clinical and research schedule to write and review each chapter published in this Monograph, and for the high quality of their content thanks to their knowledge of the field. The COVID-19 pandemic has devasted our way of life and some have sorrowfully experienced their loved ones and colleagues losing their lives or livelihood to the virus. We believe COVID-19 survivors are a testament to the phenomenal work of the global medical and scientific communities who, in these unprecedented times, have come together to openly share findings and discuss potential therapies to combat the virus. This edition of the Monograph is dedicated to the entire respiratory community, and serves as a testament to their endeavours and sacrifices that have allowed us to acquire so much knowledge about a new disease in such a short space of time. References 1. Hui DS, Zumla A. Historical perspective: other human coronavirus infectious diseases, SARS and MERS. In: Fabre A, Hurst JR, Ramjug S, eds. COVID-19 (ERS Monograph). Sheffield, European Respiratory Society, 2021 pp. 28–38. 2. O’Reilly S, Angeliadis M, Murtagh R, et al. Drug repurposing and other strategies for rapid antiviral development: lessons from the early stage of the pandemic. In: Fabre A, Hurst JR, Ramjug S, eds. COVID-19 (ERS Monograph). Sheffield, European Respiratory Society, 2021 pp. 39–68. 3. Abdelhafeez S, Doherty D. Can the immune system be targeted to treat COVID-19? In: Fabre A, Hurst JR, Ramjug S, eds. COVID-19 (ERS Monograph). Sheffield, European Respiratory Society, 2021 pp. 69–85. 4. Copin M-C, Gibier J-B, Hofman V, et al. Lung pathology. In: Fabre A, Hurst JR, Ramjug S, eds. COVID-19 (ERS Monograph). Sheffield, European Respiratory Society, 2021 pp. 86–100. 5. Amati F, Vigni A, Misuraca S, et al. Respiratory failure: a patient’s perspective and clinical cases. In:Fabre A, Hurst JR, Ramjug S, eds. COVID-19 (ERS Monograph). Sheffield, European Respiratory Society, 2021 pp. 1–13. 6. Perkins GD, Ji C, Connolly BA, et al. An adaptive randomized controlled trial of non-invasive respiratory strategies in acute respiratory failure patients with COVID-19. medRxiv 2021 preprint [https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.02. 21261379]. 7. RECOVERY Collaborative Group, Horby P, Lim WS, et al. Dexamethasone in hospitalized patients with Covid-19. N Engl J Med 2021 384: 693–704. 8. Beigel JH, Tomashek KM, Dodd LE, et al. Remdesivir for the treatment of Covid-19 – final report. N Engl J Med 2020 383: 1813–1826. 9. Wang Y, Zhang D, Du G, et al. Remdesivir in adults with severe COVID-19: a randomised, double-blind, placebo- controlled, multicentre trial. Lancet 2020 395: 1569–1578. 10. RECOVERY Collaborative Group. Tocilizumab in patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 (RECOVERY): a randomised, controlled, open-label, platform trial. Lancet 2021 397: 1637–1645. 11. REMAP-CAP Investigators, Gordon AC, Mouncey PR, et al. Interleukin-6 receptor antagonists in critically ill patients with Covid-19. N Engl J Med 2021 384: 1491–1502. 12. Ananth S, Aujayeb A, Brosnahan SB, et al. Management in the ICU. In: Fabre A, Hurst JR, Ramjug S, eds. COVID-19 (ERS Monograph). Sheffield, European Respiratory Society, 2021 pp. 124–143. 13. Abo-Leyah H, Chalmers JD. Clinical trials during the pandemic: research design and lessons. In: Fabre A, Hurst JR, Ramjug S, eds. COVID-19 (ERS Monograph). Sheffield, European Respiratory Society, 2021 pp. 214–231. https://doi.org/10.1183/2312508X.10017521 xi