The idea that researchers are public representatives of patients is wrong. Nobody who doesn’t have Long Covid, or isn’t close to someone who does, has any idea who a single Long Covid researcher is. Their actions outside the research itself will have zero material impact. Their work will affect treatment and understanding of the disease through published findings. That’s it. They won’t create a movement, change social policy, or shift public opinion. No one knows any cancer researchers, MS researchers, or heart disease researchers. They aren’t presidents or celebrities. The only people watching the conferences are patients and other Long Covid researchers. It’s a bubble, and every disease has one. The saying “you only care about your health when you lose it” exists for a reason. The average person hardly exercises, eats badly, is far too stressed at work, spends far too long on screens, and plenty smoke or take drugs. They don’t care about medical conferences and they never will. Enjoy the conferences for the research. There is nothing else happening there.