【Discussion with Audience】

The 145th Science Cafe Sapporo “Remembering the Days of COVID-19: Rethinking Our Future Lives from a Public Health Perspective” was held on Sunday, November 30, 2025, at the Inner Garden on the 1st floor of Kinokuniya Bookstore Sapporo Main Store. This is a joint event with the Hokkaido University Institute for Vaccine Research and Development (IVReD) and Hokkaido University CoSTEP.

We looked back on the years we’ve spent living with COVID-19 from a public health perspective. Our guest speaker was Dr. Masayuki Saijo, Director General for Medical Affairs and Public Health, Sapporo City Public Health Office, Health & Welfare Bureau, who spoke about the nurses and doctors on the front lines of infectious disease control, and the thoughts and struggles they faced as they responded.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people came across the term “public health” through news reports and government communications, but the actual situation on the ground was not necessarily widely known. This event provided a valuable opportunity for approximately 40 participants to reflect on what infectious diseases are, what COVID-19 was, and what “that day” meant to each individual.

For more information, please check here.

【Dr.Masayuki Saito on the left and Dr.Shojiro Numata on the right】

【Audience looking back during the Days of COVID-19】