The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the whole world, and the public has had to struggle with understanding scientific data on a daily basis. The impact of scientific misunderstanding became painfully apparent with the decline in vaccine uptake, so the need for clear, understandable scientific information has never been more vital. Plain language summaries of publications (PLSPs) could be an elegant and much needed solution to this problem. This article will explore what these documents are, the approaches taken to date, and the challenges that remain. Moreover, the authors will aim to answer the question – what has COVID-19 taught us?