'We should start thinking about the next one': Coronavirus is just the first of many pandemics to come, environmentalists warn
4 years, 9 months ago

'We should start thinking about the next one': Coronavirus is just the first of many pandemics to come, environmentalists warn

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Dr Enric Sala, marine ecologist and part of National Geographic’s Campaign For Nature, told The Independent: “I’m absolutely sure that there are going to be more diseases like this in future if we continue with our practices of destroying the natural world, deforestation and capturing wild animals as pets or for food and medicine.” The World Health Organization has reported 8,778 deaths and 209,839 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Seventeen per cent of the Amazon has been destroyed in the past 50 years Dr Samuel Myers, principle research scientist at Harvard’s Department of Environmental Health and director of the Planetary Health Alliance, told The Independent: “Human incursions into wildlife habitat bring people into closer proximity with wildlife populations. Dr Myers said: “We’re aware that malaria is being found in higher latitudes, and higher altitudes, like in the Kenyan Highlands where we never used to see temperatures as warm.” The decimation of the natural world extends far beyond infectious disease outbreaks, Dr Myers points out. “We’re seeing impacts on the quality and quantity of food we produce; exposure to noncommunicable diseases like heart disease, cancer and respiratory disease along with mental health impacts, population displacement and conflict,” he said.

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History of this topic

Are we on the brink of another pandemic? Chinese researchers think so
1 month ago

Are we on the brink of another pandemic? Chinese researchers think so

Firstpost  

Chinese scientists have said that a strain of a bird flu from 2021 has the potential to lead to a new pandemic Chinese researchers have said that the world could be close to having another pandemic in the near future. Even as the memories of the Covid-19 pandemic are afresh in many people’s mind, which emerged in China’s Wuhan, Chinese …

Letters to the Editor: A doctor’s fear that we’re careening toward a bird flu disaster
1 month ago

Letters to the Editor: A doctor’s fear that we’re careening toward a bird flu disaster

LA Times  

Bird flu outbreaks at dairy farms are sparking fears of a major threat to human health. To the editor: As a retired public health and emergency medicine physician, I want to thank you for your recent articles about the bird flu, most recently those articles by Times reporters Susanne Rust and Melissa Gomez. The combination of a mutating and potentially …

Biodiversity Summit: Lessons from Covid Offer a Warning for the Future
2 months, 2 weeks ago

Biodiversity Summit: Lessons from Covid Offer a Warning for the Future

The Hindu  

Experts and activists at the COP16 biodiversity summit in Cali, Colombia, urge world leaders to learn the lessons from the estimated seven million lives lost to Covid and thousands more due to Ebola. They propose a biodiversity and health action plan that includes commitments to limit harmful agriculture and forestry, reduce the use of pesticides, fertilizers and other chemicals damaging …

‘Beyond reasonable doubt’ Covid pandemic originated at Wuhan market stall
3 months, 2 weeks ago

‘Beyond reasonable doubt’ Covid pandemic originated at Wuhan market stall

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy It is beyond “reasonable doubt” that the Covid-19 pandemic originated in …

Dozens of viruses detected in Chinese fur farm animals
4 months ago

Dozens of viruses detected in Chinese fur farm animals

The Hindu  

Dozens of viruses have been detected mixing in animals at fur farms in China, some of which are new and have the potential to spill over into humans, researchers said on Wednesday, September 4, 2024. Virologist Edward Holmes, who has led research into Covid-19, told AFP he felt that the global fur farming industry “is one most likely ways by …

No ‘unusual’ virus behind rising Pneumonia cases China has clarified, reveals WHO
1 year, 1 month ago

No ‘unusual’ virus behind rising Pneumonia cases China has clarified, reveals WHO

Firstpost  

Since mid-October 2023, the World Health Organization has been monitoring data from Chinese surveillance systems showing an increase in respiratory illness in children in northern China China has reiterated that no unusual or new pathogens have been detected in the upsurge in child respiratory illnesses in the north, the WHO said on Thursday after putting pressure on Beijing for detailed …

Spike in illnesses isn’t a new pathogen, China reassures WHO
1 year, 1 month ago

Spike in illnesses isn’t a new pathogen, China reassures WHO

Salon  

An outbreak of respiratory illnesses in China has sparked alarm, but the sudden rise in sickness is not related to a new virus, according to Chinese health authorities. So far, the data suggests that there’s nothing out of the ordinary, but both the WHO and China have been criticized in the past for not being entirely transparent about the COVID-19 …

Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: Unanswered questions, lessons learnt and ongoing challenges
1 year, 2 months ago

Beyond the COVID-19 pandemic: Unanswered questions, lessons learnt and ongoing challenges

Firstpost  

The COVID-19 pandemic that impacted all aspects of human life, quite literally cancelled the planet. Was any internal advice given to the Government of India that the mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna were better, despite the fact that they were significantly more expensive and difficult to administer? Covishield, developed by Oxford-AstraZeneca in the UK, is similar to previous …

With climate change, tackling new disease scenarios
1 year, 3 months ago

With climate change, tackling new disease scenarios

The Hindu  

In its latest report released this March, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change delivers a stark warning: climate change heightens the global risk of infectious diseases. Climate change, more infections Habitat loss forces disease-carrying animals to encroach upon human territory, increasing the risk of human-animal interaction and the transfer of pathogens from wildlife to humans. Mitigating the spread of climate …

China's 'batwoman' warns there could be more Covid-like 'future outbreaks'
1 year, 3 months ago

China's 'batwoman' warns there could be more Covid-like 'future outbreaks'

India Today  

Known as one of China's best virologists, Shi Zhengli has warned that there is a high possibility of another coronavirus to appear in the future. "If a coronavirus caused diseases to emerge before, there is a high chance it will cause future outbreaks," she said in a study paper written with her colleagues. Shi's team from the Wuhan Institute of …

As the planet warms, scientists warn that cases of infectious diseases could spike
1 year, 5 months ago

As the planet warms, scientists warn that cases of infectious diseases could spike

LA Times  

Climate change is prompting animals to move into new territory, bringing the diseases they carry with them. Climate change displaces some 20 million people every year — people who need housing, medical care, food and other essentials that strain already-fragile systems that are growing ever more stressed. People are suffering and dying right now.” Research shows that climate change influences …

The coronavirus has made itself at home in animals. Why that ramps up the risk for people
1 year, 7 months ago

The coronavirus has made itself at home in animals. Why that ramps up the risk for people

LA Times  

The COVID-19 pandemic is receding fast into our collective memory. Still, some are capable of transmitting the virus to other members of their species, just like the asymptomatic humans who became “silent spreaders.” The coronavirus’ ability to infect so many different animals, and to spread within some of those populations, is worrying news: It means there’s virtually no chance the …

Leave bats alone in their habitats for a pandemic-free future, says study
1 year, 7 months ago

Leave bats alone in their habitats for a pandemic-free future, says study

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: Scientists make the case that pandemic prevention requires a global taboo or ban whereby mankind agreed to leave bats alone, to let them have the habitats they need, undisturbed, in a study published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health. We must change humanity's relationship with nature if we want to prevent the next pandemic of zoonotic origin …

WHO, Believes Disease X Could Create A Pandemic Like Situation, All You Need To Know
1 year, 7 months ago

WHO, Believes Disease X Could Create A Pandemic Like Situation, All You Need To Know

News 18  

As the world gradually returns to a sense of normalcy following the unprecedented challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the scientific and public health communities remain steadfast in their preparations for future outbreaks and pandemics. As the global community reflects on the challenges and lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic, the pursuit of knowledge and preventive measures against future outbreaks …

Learn from missteps in Covid’s early days
1 year, 8 months ago

Learn from missteps in Covid’s early days

Hindustan Times  

Covid-19 is no longer a public health emergency, the World Health Organization declared last week, roughly 1,200 days after it first learnt of a new coronavirus spreading through Wuhan, China. Still, WHO’s word is a strong determinant in global health discourse and on this count, the agency fell short in its mission, especially in the early days of the pandemic. …

Climate change increasing risk of new emerging viruses, infectious diseases in India
1 year, 8 months ago

Climate change increasing risk of new emerging viruses, infectious diseases in India

The Hindu  

Changing climatic conditions, particularly temperature and moisture variations following events such as extreme rainfall in some places and drought in others, will lead to a surge in the spread of vector-borne and infectious diseases across India, say scientists. A study published last year in the journal Nature predicted that climate change will vastly increase the risk of new viruses infecting …

New study suggests possibility humans introduced COVID-19 to animals
1 year, 9 months ago

New study suggests possibility humans introduced COVID-19 to animals

China Daily  

Humans infected by the COVID-19 virus may have introduced the novel coronavirus to susceptible animals at the Huanan seafood market in Wuhan, Hubei province, where the first COVID-19 cases were reported, Chinese researchers said on Saturday. Tong Yigang, dean of the College of Life Science and Technology at Beijing University of Chemical Technology, said in a press briefing that no …

Covid ‘most-likely’ jumped from animals to humans, claims new report
1 year, 9 months ago

Covid ‘most-likely’ jumped from animals to humans, claims new report

Hindustan Times  

A new analysis of samples taken from a market in Wuhan, China during the early days of the pandemic are the strongest evidence yet that the Covid-19 virus jumped from animals to humans, some researchers say. “These data do not provide a definitive answer to the question of how the pandemic began,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Friday in …

America is 'fundamentally unprepared' for zoonotic diseases
1 year, 10 months ago

America is 'fundamentally unprepared' for zoonotic diseases

Daily Mail  

With the US teetering on the brink of nuclear war with Russia and gloomy warnings about climate change, many believe these events could end the human race. In an editorial published today, they claimed America is 'fundamentally unprepared', despite the Covid pandemic being so fresh in people's minds, as well as the recent bird flu and Marburg virus outbreak scares. …

No new Covid variants during recent breakout in China: Lancet study
1 year, 11 months ago

No new Covid variants during recent breakout in China: Lancet study

India Today  

New coronavirus variants did not emerge during the recent outbreak of cases in China, said a study published in the medical journal, The Lancet. Samples of 350 locally acquired infections and 63 imported cases were studied during a five-week period beginning in November 2022 - shortly after China abruptly overturned its strict zero-Covid policy. Further, China also administers inactivated whole …

WHO Says Covid-19 Remains 'Global Health Emergency'
1 year, 11 months ago

WHO Says Covid-19 Remains 'Global Health Emergency'

News 18  

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to be a “global health emergency” and the deadly virus will remain a “permanently established pathogen” in humans and animals for the foreseeable future, according to the World Health Organisation. “Three years ago today, I declared a public health emergency of international concern over the global spread of COVID-19 – the highest level of alarm under …

COVID is still a global emergency but may be nearing an ‘inflection point,’ WHO says
1 year, 11 months ago

COVID is still a global emergency but may be nearing an ‘inflection point,’ WHO says

LA Times  

COVID-19 remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization’s chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found that the pandemic may be nearing an “inflection point” where higher levels of immunity can lower coronavirus-related deaths. Speaking at the opening of the WHO’s annual executive board meeting, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that “there is no doubt that we’re …

Lessons From COVID: What The World Needs to Learn to Tackle Future Pandemics
1 year, 11 months ago

Lessons From COVID: What The World Needs to Learn to Tackle Future Pandemics

The Quint  

The costly lesson from COVID: why elimination should be the default global strategy for future pandemics Getty Images Imagine it is 2030. An upgraded pandemic response to eliminate at source The process by which the WHO currently decides whether to declare a public health emergency of international concern has drawn criticism for being too slow. Elimination makes sense for other …

China enters new phase of COVID response
2 years ago

China enters new phase of COVID response

China Daily  

BEIJING -- From Jan 8, China starts managing COVID-19 with measures designed for combating Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases. Confronted with epidemic uncertainties, China has always been putting people's lives and health first, adapting its COVID response in light of the evolving situation. The fast-changing features of the virus and the complicated evolution of epidemic …

China enters new phase of COVID response
2 years ago

China enters new phase of COVID response

China Daily  

BEIJING -- From Jan 8, China starts managing COVID-19 with measures designed for combating Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases. Confronted with epidemic uncertainties, China has always been putting people's lives and health first, adapting its COVID response in light of the evolving situation. The fast-changing features of the virus and the complicated evolution of epidemic …

China enters new phase of COVID response
2 years ago

China enters new phase of COVID response

China Daily  

From Sunday, China starts managing COVID-19 with measures designed for combating Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases. Confronted with epidemic uncertainties, China has always been putting people's lives and health first, adapting its COVID response in light of the evolving situation. The fast-changing features of the virus and the complicated evolution of epidemic response posed serious …

China's optimized COVID-19 strategy is a planned, science-based approach
2 years ago

China's optimized COVID-19 strategy is a planned, science-based approach

China Daily  

A medical worker in a protective suit adjusts a monitoring device for a patient at the fever clinics of the Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University. Meanwhile, the Chinese term for COVID-19 was changed from "novel coronavirus pneumonia" to "novel coronavirus infection" -- as the prevalent omicron strains are seen to cause symptoms confined mainly to the upper respiratory tract. …

DC Edit | China endangering world again
2 years ago

DC Edit | China endangering world again

Deccan Chronicle  

China’s healthcare system is buckling under the strain of its latest and outlandish decision of taking down all Covid controls so rapidly that the country is endangering the world all over again. From late 2019 in Wuhan where the pathogen may have jumped species to spread panic over the coronavirus to the close of 2022, China took several decisions that …

China to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases
2 years ago

China to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases

China Daily  

Xinhua| Updated :2022-12-27 China will manage COVID-19 with measures against Class B infectious diseases, instead of Class A infectious diseases, in a major shift of its epidemic response policies. Starting from Jan. 8, China will downgrade management of the disease from Class A to Class B in accordance with the country's law on prevention and treatment of infectious disease, and …

China downgrades COVID management
2 years ago

China downgrades COVID management

China Daily  

An elderly woman receives a shot of COVID-19 vaccine in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, Dec 12, 2022. "By evaluating factors, including viral mutations, epidemic situation and disease control capability, China is deemed to meet basic requirements for the downgraded management," it said. However, lowering disease category does not mean leaving the virus to run rampant, said Liang Wannian, head of the …

China downgrades COVID management
2 years ago

China downgrades COVID management

China Daily  

An elderly woman receives a shot of COVID-19 vaccine in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, Dec 12, 2022. "By evaluating factors, including viral mutations, epidemic situation and disease control capability, China is deemed to meet basic requirements for the downgraded management," it said. However, lowering disease category does not mean leaving the virus to run rampant, said Liang Wannian, head of the …

China downgrades COVID management
2 years ago

China downgrades COVID management

China Daily  

An elderly woman receives a shot of COVID-19 vaccine in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, Dec 12, 2022. "By evaluating factors, including viral mutations, epidemic situation and disease control capability, China is deemed to meet basic requirements for the downgraded management," it said. However, lowering disease category does not mean leaving the virus to run rampant, said Liang Wannian, head of the …

China's COVID-19 surge raises odds of new coronavirus mutant
2 years ago

China's COVID-19 surge raises odds of new coronavirus mutant

The Hindu  

Could the COVID-19 surge in China unleash a new coronavirus mutant on the world? “When we've seen big waves of infection, it's often followed by new variants being generated,” Dr. Ray said. Dr. Shan-Lu Liu, who studies viruses at Ohio State University, said many existing Omicron variants have been detected in China, including BF.7, which is extremely adept at evading …

China’s COVID-19 surge raises odds of new coronavirus mutant
2 years ago

China’s COVID-19 surge raises odds of new coronavirus mutant

Associated Press  

Could the COVID-19 surge in China unleash a new coronavirus mutant on the world? “When we’ve seen big waves of infection, it’s often followed by new variants being generated,” Ray said. Ray compared the virus to a boxer that “learns to evade the skills that you have and adapt to get around those.” One big unknown is whether a new …

Will China Covid wave unleash new mutant on world? Scientists worry
2 years ago

Will China Covid wave unleash new mutant on world? Scientists worry

India TV News  

China Covid Wave: China is battling with one of its most challenging pandemic phase as a new-wave led by Omicron BF.7 sub variant has unleashed a Covid blast in the country. Ray compared the virus to a boxer that “learns to evade the skills that you have and adapt to get around those.” One big unknown is whether a new …

China’s COVID-19 surge raises odds of new coronavirus mutant
2 years ago

China’s COVID-19 surge raises odds of new coronavirus mutant

LA Times  

Masked commuters walk during the morning rush hour in Beijing on Dec. 20. “When we’ve seen big waves of infection, it’s often followed by new variants being generated,” Ray said. Ray compared the virus to a boxer that “learns to evade the skills that you have and adapt to get around those.” One big unknown is whether a new variant …

Explained | What is the threat from global COVID-19 rise?
2 years ago

Explained | What is the threat from global COVID-19 rise?

The Hindu  

The story so far: The Union Ministry of Health has issued a communique to States to resume genome sequencing of new cases of COVID-19, in view of the sudden spurt of cases in some parts of the world. In a letter, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said sequencing of positive case samples will allow the Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium network …

COVID-19 China update: Difficult months ahead as 'coronavirus' cases spiral | KNOW WHY
2 years ago

COVID-19 China update: Difficult months ahead as 'coronavirus' cases spiral | KNOW WHY

India TV News  

China COVID-19 cases : Nearly three years after it was first identified in China, the coronavirus pandemic is now spreading through the vast country. “How well do they perform this particular catch up effort might determine some of the outcome.” Hospital conditions in China: Around Baoding and Langfang, hospitals have run out of intensive care beds and staff as severe …

In our 'profound interest' that China reins in latest surge in coronavirus infections: Antony Blinken
2 years ago

In our 'profound interest' that China reins in latest surge in coronavirus infections: Antony Blinken

The Hindu  

It is in America's "profound interest" that China reins in the recent surge in coronavirus infections, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said, asserting that there are major implications if the world's second-largest economy remained shut down due to the virus. When asked about the latest surge in COVID-19 cases in China, Mr. Blinken said the U.S. wants to …

‘A very hard road ahead’ for China as COVID-19 cases spiral
2 years ago

‘A very hard road ahead’ for China as COVID-19 cases spiral

Associated Press  

BAZHOU, China — Nearly three years after it was first identified in China, the coronavirus is now spreading through the vast country. The National Health Commission said China had 10 intensive care beds for every 100,000 people on Dec. 9, a total of 138,000 beds, up from 4 for every 100,000 people on Nov. 22. Even taken at face value, …

Prepare, don't panic, in the face of covid resurgence in China
2 years ago

Prepare, don't panic, in the face of covid resurgence in China

Live Mint  

As a fresh wave of covid infections sweeps across China, after the authorities abruptly changed tack from their three-year-long Zero Covid strategy, there is widespread concern that the world is heading for Pandemic Redux, making the world pay a heavy toll in terms of lives and lost economic output. A PLI-type scheme for 'atmanirbhar' vaccine industry Cement investors see Q3 …

China’s Covid-19 spike is a worry
2 years ago

China’s Covid-19 spike is a worry

Hindustan Times  

China is now in the grip of its worst Covid-19 outbreak, having been forced to dismantle its restrictive virus control measures when near-unprecedented protests erupted against the Xi Jinping administration. While other countries completed the first round of mass vaccinations within 2021, nearly half of those above the age of 80 in China – the most vulnerable to Covid-19 -- …

Covid-19 outbreak AGAIN sparks meme fest on Twitter; netizens question 'New Year 2023 plans'
2 years ago

Covid-19 outbreak AGAIN sparks meme fest on Twitter; netizens question 'New Year 2023 plans'

India TV News  

The COVID-19 virus shook the world in 2019 after it was first reported in China's Wuhan. While the holiday season is in full swing and people are planning travel and vacation plans, the unexpected outbreak in China has completely derailed their plans. A few people also voiced their concern and urged the government to immediately ban all exchange with China. …

Covid-19 cases in the US surpass 100 million, says report
2 years ago

Covid-19 cases in the US surpass 100 million, says report

Firstpost  

According to health officials in China, Chinese cities are currently hit by the highly transmissible Omicron strains, mainly BA.5.2 and BF.7 Washington: The number of Covid-19 cases registered in the US since the start of the pandemic in early 2020 exceeded a staggering 100 million, Johns Hopkins University has said, amid a sharp spike in caseloads globally and the WHO …

US concerned about ‘new mutations’ of virus from China's Covid outbreak
2 years ago

US concerned about ‘new mutations’ of virus from China's Covid outbreak

Hindustan Times  

The US is concerned China’s runaway Covid-19 outbreak might spawn new mutations of the virus, as the world’s most populous country continues to grapple with the impact of loosening “Covid Zero” protocols that had kept the pandemic at bay. In a statement to Bloomberg News on Monday evening, China’s US embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu said China has adopted “scientific and …

China reports first coronavirus deaths since easing zero-COVID policy
2 years ago

China reports first coronavirus deaths since easing zero-COVID policy

Firstpost  

Official case numbers are widely considered unreliable following the end of mandatory mass testing, while fears are mounting of a wave of infections in poor rural areas during the upcoming Lunar New Year holidays Beijing: China on Monday reported its first deaths from Covid-19 since loosening its hardline containment policy, as hospitals and crematoriums struggle with outbreak authorities say is …

China COVID Surge: Explosion Of Coronavirus Cases, Over A Million Deaths Through 2023, Say IHME Projections
2 years ago

China COVID Surge: Explosion Of Coronavirus Cases, Over A Million Deaths Through 2023, Say IHME Projections

ABP News  

New Delhi: After China's stringent COVID-19 restrictions were abruptly lifted following unprecedented protests under the Xi Jinping regime, the U.S.-based Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation has projected that the lifting of curbs could result in an explosion of cases and over a million deaths through 2023. This projection comes as China's national health authority is yet to report any …

WHO Pleased to See China Ease Harsh Zero Covid Policies
2 years, 1 month ago

WHO Pleased to See China Ease Harsh Zero Covid Policies

News 18  

LONDON: A top official at the World Health Organization said the U.N. agency was “pleased” to see China loosening some of its coronavirus restrictions, saying “it’s really important that governments listen to their people when the people are in pain.” At a press briefing on Friday, WHO emergencies director Dr. Michael Ryan said the organization was glad to see China …

WHO pleased to see China ease harsh zero COVID policies
2 years, 1 month ago

WHO pleased to see China ease harsh zero COVID policies

Associated Press  

LONDON — A top official at the World Health Organization said the U.N. agency was “pleased” to see China loosening some of its coronavirus restrictions, saying “it’s really important that governments listen to their people when the people are in pain.” At a press briefing on Friday, WHO emergencies director Dr. Michael Ryan said the organization was glad to see …

Report authored by disgraced Peter Daszak says animal to human transmission was most likely scenario
2 years, 2 months ago

Report authored by disgraced Peter Daszak says animal to human transmission was most likely scenario

Daily Mail  

A report co-authored by disgraced scientist Dr Peter Daszak has claimed there is ‘no evidence’ Covid was created in a laboratory. A leaked email from 2020 showed Dr Daszak seeming to express gratitude to Dr Fauci for downplaying the theory that the Covid-19 was created in a lab in Wuhan, China Dr Daszak is considered a potential orchestrator of the …

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