The Take: Is the world ready for the next pandemic?
1 week, 6 days ago

The Take: Is the world ready for the next pandemic?

Al Jazeera  

Five years after COVID-19, how global inequity threatens our preparedness for the next pandemic. The clock is ticking down to the next pandemic, which could be deadlier than the last, as new zoonotic diseases emerge and global vaccine inequity persists. In this episode: Drew Ambrose – Al Jazeera journalist, Flatten the Curve Episode credits: This episode was produced by Chloe K. Li, Ashish Malhotra, and Tamara Khandaker, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Amy Walters, Sarí el-Khalili, Marcos Bartolomé, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Sarí el-Khalili, Tamara Khandaker, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Ashish Malhotra, Khaled Soltan, Amy Walters, and Noor Wazwaz.

Li Tamara  li  tamara  malhotra  world  khandaker  ready  sarí  pandemic  walters  lanos  phillip  noor  marcos

History of this topic

Is the world ready for the next pandemic?
2 months, 1 week ago

Is the world ready for the next pandemic?

The Hindu  

An awkward question remains five years after Covid-19 began its deadly rampage: is the world ready to handle the next pandemic? View from the WHO Asked whether the world was better prepared for the next pandemic, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said recently: "Yes and no". "If the next pandemic arrived today, the world would still face some of the …

Has the next pandemic already started?
8 months ago

Has the next pandemic already started?

Al Jazeera  

New cases of avian flu are raising alarm of a possible new pandemic. It is crucial to avoid repeating mistakes from the COVID-19 pandemic, especially when dealing with H5N1, where the risks could be even greater due to its high mortality rate. Tests should be made available worldwide – including in low- and middle-income countries – and prioritised in populations …

World leaders to meet to discuss threat of hypothetical ‘Disease X’ in Davos
1 year, 2 months ago

World leaders to meet to discuss threat of hypothetical ‘Disease X’ in Davos

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It’s known by the placeholder name of Disease X, …

WHO, Believes Disease X Could Create A Pandemic Like Situation, All You Need To Know
1 year, 9 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, 10 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. …

WHO downgrades COVID pandemic, says it’s no longer emergency
1 year, 10 months ago

WHO downgrades COVID pandemic, says it’s no longer emergency

Associated Press  

GENEVA — The World Health Organization said Friday that COVID-19 no longer qualifies as a global emergency, marking a symbolic end to the devastating coronavirus pandemic that triggered once-unthinkable lockdowns, upended economies and killed millions of people worldwide. The U.N. health agency’s officials said that even though the emergency phase was over, the pandemic hasn’t finished, noting recent spikes in …

Experts discuss WHO's recent COVID-related statement
2 years, 1 month ago

Experts discuss WHO's recent COVID-related statement

China Daily  

Editor's note: After the conclusion of its 14th International Health Regulations Emergency Committee, the World Health Organization issued a statement that the novel coronavirus pandemic remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. That requires society to make seasonal arrangements to protect vulnerable groups, like vaccinating the seniors who have a weak immune system and the medical staff who have …

WHO: COVID still an emergency but nearing ‘inflection’ point
2 years, 1 month ago

WHO: COVID still an emergency but nearing ‘inflection’ point

Associated Press  

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

COVID is still a global emergency but may be nearing an ‘inflection point,’ WHO says
2 years, 1 month 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
2 years, 2 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 …

Editorial: We have to face our COVID-19 pandemic stumbles — before we forget them
2 years, 3 months ago

Editorial: We have to face our COVID-19 pandemic stumbles — before we forget them

LA Times  

Now that we have vaccines and rapid tests and Paxlovid for COVID-19 — not to mention boundless supplies of KN95 face masks and toilet paper — it’s easy to forget the early days of the pandemic when we had none of those things. There was the discovery that the nation’s stockpile of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies maintained by the Department …

Explained | Is there any end of the COVID-19 pandemic in sight?
2 years, 6 months ago

Explained | Is there any end of the COVID-19 pandemic in sight?

The Hindu  

The story so far: “We are not there yet, but the end is in sight.” At a press conference on September 14, World Health Organization director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said: “Last week, the number of weekly reported deaths from COVID-19 was the lowest since March 2020. We have never been in a better position to end the pandemic.” The …

WHO says COVID end is ‘in sight,’ deaths at lowest level since March 2020
2 years, 6 months ago

WHO says COVID end is ‘in sight,’ deaths at lowest level since March 2020

LA Times  

The head of the World Health Organization said Wednesday that the number of COVID-19 deaths worldwide last week was the lowest reported since March 2020, marking what could be a turning point in the years-long pandemic. “Now is the time to run harder and make sure we cross the line and reap all the rewards of our hard work.” In …

WHO chief: The COVID pandemic is ‘most certainly not over’
2 years, 10 months ago

WHO chief: The COVID pandemic is ‘most certainly not over’

Associated Press  

BERLIN — The COVID-19 pandemic is “most certainly not over,” the head of the World Health Organization warned Sunday, despite a decline in reported cases since the peak of the omicron wave. He told governments that “we lower our guard at our peril.” The U.N. health agency’s director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, told officials gathered in Geneva for opening of the …

COVID-19 virus likely continues to evolve but severity reduces over time: WHO
2 years, 11 months ago

COVID-19 virus likely continues to evolve but severity reduces over time: WHO

China Daily  

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, attends a news conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Dec 20, 2021. GENEVA - SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, is likely to keep evolving as transmission continues globally, but its severity will reduce due to immunity acquired by vaccination and infection, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday. Speaking at …

'Pandemic is not over': WHO's warning as Covid-19 cases surge globally
2 years, 11 months ago

'Pandemic is not over': WHO's warning as Covid-19 cases surge globally

Hindustan Times  

The World Health Organization on Wednesday warned that the world will continue to battle with surging Covid-19 infections and its emerging variants until all countries are covered with high vaccination. Until we reach high vaccination coverage in all countries, we will continue to face the risk of infections surging and new variants emerging that evade," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom …

2 years into pandemic, world takes cautious steps forward
3 years ago

2 years into pandemic, world takes cautious steps forward

Associated Press  

PORTLAND, Ore. — With COVID-19 case numbers plummeting, Emily Safrin did something she hadn’t done since the pandemic began two years ago: She put her fears aside and went to a concert. “Everyone was supposed to be vaccinated or have a negative test, and I said, ‘What the heck, I’m just gonna live my life,’” Safrin said of her concert …

COVID pandemic’s ‘acute phase’ could end by midyear: WHO
3 years, 1 month ago

COVID pandemic’s ‘acute phase’ could end by midyear: WHO

Al Jazeera  

WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says the acute phase of the pandemic could end by the middle of the year if about 70 percent of the world gets jabbed. The head of the World Health Organization has said the acute phase of the pandemic could end this year, if about 70 percent of the world gets vaccinated. “Our expectation is …

Senators propose bipartisan legislation to bolster pandemic preparedness and examine US Covid-19 response
3 years, 1 month ago

Senators propose bipartisan legislation to bolster pandemic preparedness and examine US Covid-19 response

CNN  

Patty Murray and Richard Burr on Tuesday proposed a bipartisan bill that would bolster the US’ pandemic preparedness and probe the origins of Covid-19. The PREVENT Pandemics Act would “examine what has worked, and what has not, during the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and incorporates ideas from multiple members on both sides of the aisle,” according to a …

With emergence of Omicron, Europe could be headed for pandemic 'endgame', says WHO
3 years, 1 month ago

With emergence of Omicron, Europe could be headed for pandemic 'endgame', says WHO

Firstpost  

The Omicron variant, which is more contagious than Delta but leads to less severe infection, has raised hopes that COVID-19 is starting to shift from a pandemic to a more manageable endemic illness Copenhagen, Denmark: The Omicron variant has moved the COVID-19 pandemic into a new phase and could bring it to an end in Europe, the WHO Europe director …

Europe could be headed for pandemic \'endgame\': WHO
3 years, 1 month ago

Europe could be headed for pandemic \'endgame\': WHO

Deccan Chronicle  

COPENHAGEN: The Omicron variant has moved the Covid-19 pandemic into a new phase and could bring it to an end in Europe, the WHO Europe director said Sunday. "It's plausible that the region is moving towards a kind of pandemic endgame," Hans Kluge told AFP in an interview, adding that Omicron could infect 60 percent of Europeans by March. "We …

Europe could be headed for pandemic ’endgame’: WHO
3 years, 1 month ago

Europe could be headed for pandemic ’endgame’: WHO

Live Mint  

The Omicron variant has moved the Covid-19 pandemic into a new phase and could bring it to an end in Europe, the WHO Europe director said Sunday. "It's plausible that the region is moving towards a kind of pandemic endgame," Hans Kluge told AFP in an interview, adding that Omicron could infect 60 percent of Europeans by March. "We anticipate …

This is how the COVID-19 health emergency could be over this year, WHO says
3 years, 2 months ago

This is how the COVID-19 health emergency could be over this year, WHO says

LA Times  

John Nkengasong, left, director of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and moderator Julia Chatterley during a remote panel on vaccine equity at the World Economic Forum on Tuesday. Dr. Michael Ryan, speaking during a panel discussion on vaccine inequity hosted by the World Economic Forum, said “we may never end the virus” because such pandemic viruses “end …

Can the world conquer coronavirus in 2022?
3 years, 3 months ago

Can the world conquer coronavirus in 2022?

Al Jazeera  

On Thursday, December 23 at 19:30 GMT: The COVID-19 pandemic has continued unabated throughout 2021, with coronavirus now estimated to have infected more than 276 million people worldwide. The reach of vaccination campaigns in developed countries promoted cautious optimism among some public health officials that 2022 would the year that the pandemic would begin to recede, after waves of Delta …

With Omicron's emergence, scientists rewrite Covid-19 plan for 2022
3 years, 3 months ago

With Omicron's emergence, scientists rewrite Covid-19 plan for 2022

India Today  

As the Omicron variant gains momentum in Europe and the United States, scientists are rewriting their expectations for the Covid-19 pandemic next year. "People are sick of the pandemic and God knows I am, but unless we can get some urgency to compel our leaders to take action, I really see 2022 being a lot of more of the same …

Next pandemic may be worse, says scientist behind UK's Covid-19 vaccine
3 years, 3 months ago

Next pandemic may be worse, says scientist behind UK's Covid-19 vaccine

India Today  

One of the scientists behind the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is warning that the next pandemic may be more contagious and more lethal unless more money is devoted to research and preparations to fight emerging viral threats. In excerpts released before a speech Monday, Professor Sarah Gilbert says the scientific advances made in fighting deadly viruses “must not be lost” because …

Covid-19: The world has the tools to end the pandemic. They’re not being used properly
3 years, 3 months ago

Covid-19: The world has the tools to end the pandemic. They’re not being used properly

CNN  

London CNN — The Covid-19 pandemic will not last forever. “This is the major issue: There was never a plan, there still isn’t a plan at a global level,” said Andrea Taylor, assistant director of programs at the Duke Global Health Institute. “It isn’t just pockets – huge swathes of the world have unacceptably low vaccine coverage,” Taylor said. “It’s …

Ex-FDA commissioner predicts ‘pandemic phase’ of Covid will end in coming months
3 years, 5 months ago

Ex-FDA commissioner predicts ‘pandemic phase’ of Covid will end in coming months

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The former Food and …

Climate action cannot wait for pandemic to end, medical journals warn
3 years, 6 months ago

Climate action cannot wait for pandemic to end, medical journals warn

India Today  

Global warming is already affecting people's health so much that emergency action on climate change cannot be put on hold while the world deals with the Covid-19 pandemic, medical journals across the globe warned on Monday. "Health is already being harmed by global temperature increases and the destruction of the natural world," read an editorial published in more than 220 …

Pandemic is a test and world is failing: WHO chief ahead of Tokyo Olympics
3 years, 8 months ago

Pandemic is a test and world is failing: WHO chief ahead of Tokyo Olympics

India Today  

With Covid-19 causing devastation across the globe, it has left many people wondering: When will this pandemic end? Responding to this, WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said, "The pandemic is a test and the world is failing." Addressing the International Olympic Committee meeting in Tokyo, the World Health Organisation chief said, "It's a question I am often asked, and …

Analysis: The pandemic may be better, but it’s not over
3 years, 8 months ago

Analysis: The pandemic may be better, but it’s not over

CNN  

CNN — Four days after President Joe Biden declared the darkest days of the pandemic over, America is facing a burst of challenges that indicate Covid-19 is far from releasing its grip. “It is hard to imagine we are going to be able to immunize 200 to 300 million people every year to this,” Dr Zeke Emanuel, a former health …

WHO, at heart of world’s sluggish Covid response, could face shake-up
3 years, 9 months ago

WHO, at heart of world’s sluggish Covid response, could face shake-up

Live Mint  

The World Health Organization, at the heart of the world's sluggish handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, faces a potential shake-up to prevent future outbreaks as a top official warned that "the pathogens have the upper hand". Health ministers from WHO's 194 member states will also meet from Nov. 29 to decide whether to launch negotiations on an international treaty aimed …

World could have prevented COVID-19 catastrophe: Expert panel
3 years, 10 months ago

World could have prevented COVID-19 catastrophe: Expert panel

Al Jazeera  

Report by Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response says ‘toxic cocktail’ of dithering and poor coordination means warning signs went unheeded. An independent panel has concluded that the catastrophic scale of the coronavirus pandemic could have been prevented but a “toxic cocktail” of dithering and poor coordination meant the warning signs went unheeded. Early responses to the outbreak detected …

How Do We Stop The Next Pandemic? Here's A New Strategy
3 years, 11 months ago

How Do We Stop The Next Pandemic? Here's A New Strategy

NPR  

How Do We Stop The Next Pandemic? "It's not like in the movies," he says, "where this virus goes from a pig in Indonesia and causes a pandemic." Sponsor Message Now, writing in the journal Viruses, Gray and his colleagues propose an alternative approach to hunting down new viruses, which, they believe, will have a better chance of stopping the …

There’s good Covid-19 news in some nations. But the pandemic is worse than ever elsewhere
3 years, 11 months ago

There’s good Covid-19 news in some nations. But the pandemic is worse than ever elsewhere

CNN  

Editor’s Note: This was excerpted from the April 9 edition of CNN’s Meanwhile in America, the daily email about US politics for global readers. President Joe Biden has made tentative steps and promises to help out needy nations, but that’s only once the US has satisfied domestic demand for vaccines. ‘An international embarrassment’ Foreigners are perpetually mystified that despite near-daily …

The Future Of The Pandemic In The U.S.: Experts Look Ahead
3 years, 11 months ago

The Future Of The Pandemic In The U.S.: Experts Look Ahead

NPR  

The Future Of The Pandemic In The U.S.: Experts Look Ahead Enlarge this image toggle caption Joe Raedle/Getty Images Joe Raedle/Getty Images Updated March 26, 7:15 p.m. A year after the pandemic shut down the country, a growing number of infectious disease experts, epidemiologists, public health officials and others have started to entertain a notion that has long seemed out …

A year of pandemic and inequality
4 years ago

A year of pandemic and inequality

Al Jazeera  

On the anniversary of the pandemic, we take stock of global health inequities during COVID. On the anniversary of the pandemic, we are discussing the Pfizer controversy, and taking stock of the global inequities from COVID-19. In this episode: Madlen Davies, global health correspondent at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism Connect with The Take: Twitter, Instagram and Facebook Subscribe: New …

How has COVID-19 changed us?
4 years ago

How has COVID-19 changed us?

Al Jazeera  

On Wednesday, March 10 at 19:30 GMT: It’s nearly a year since the World Health Organization confirmed the world’s worst fears about COVID-19 and declared a coronavirus pandemic. Millions of recently bereaved families are now grieving the loss of loved ones, with many unable to say goodbye amid strict lockdown measures and emergency protocols in overwhelmed hospitals. The COVID-19 pandemic …

'When Will it End?': How Mutating Covid-19 is Keeping Scientists Up at Nights
4 years ago

'When Will it End?': How Mutating Covid-19 is Keeping Scientists Up at Nights

News 18  

Chris Murray, a University of Washington disease expert whose projections on COVID-19 infections and deaths are closely followed worldwide, is changing his assumptions about the course of the pandemic. Many described how the breakthrough late last year of two vaccines with around 95% efficacy against COVID-19 had initially sparked hope that the virus could be largely contained, similar to the …

Forget Your Vacation Plans, Covid-19 isn't Going Anywhere Till 2022
4 years ago

Forget Your Vacation Plans, Covid-19 isn't Going Anywhere Till 2022

News 18  

The World Health Organization said that it is “unrealistic” to expect the Covid-19 pandemic to be over by the end of 2021. “I think it will be very premature, and I think unrealistic, to think that we’re going to finish with this virus by the end of the year,” Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, …

Premature, unrealistic to think COVID-19 will end soon: WHO
4 years ago

Premature, unrealistic to think COVID-19 will end soon: WHO

India TV News  

A senior World Health Organization official said Monday it was “premature” and “unrealistic” to think the pandemic might be stopped by the end of the year, but that the recent arrival of effective vaccines could at least help dramatically reduce hospitalizations and death. WHO’s director-general, meanwhile, said it was “regrettable” that younger and healthier adults in some rich countries are …

'Premature, unrealistic' to think Covid pandemic will be stopped by end of 2021: WHO
4 years ago

'Premature, unrealistic' to think Covid pandemic will be stopped by end of 2021: WHO

India Today  

A senior World Health Organization official said Monday it was "premature" and "unrealistic" to think the pandemic might be stopped by the end of the year, but that the recent arrival of effective vaccines could at least help dramatically reduce hospitalizations and death. WHO's director-general, meanwhile, said it was "regrettable" that younger and healthier adults in some rich countries are …

It’s ‘premature’ and ‘unrealistic’ to think COVID-19 will end soon, WHO warns
4 years ago

It’s ‘premature’ and ‘unrealistic’ to think COVID-19 will end soon, WHO warns

LA Times  

A senior World Health Organization official said Monday it was “premature” and “unrealistic” to think the COVID-19 pandemic will be over by the end of the year, but that the recent arrival of effective vaccines could at least help dramatically reduce hospitalizations and death. WHO’s director-general, meanwhile, said it was “regrettable” that younger and healthier adults in some rich countries …

Global COVID-19 infections up for first time in 7 weeks, WHO says
4 years ago

Global COVID-19 infections up for first time in 7 weeks, WHO says

Al Jazeera  

Cases are rising due to relaxing of public health measures, circulation of variants and ‘people letting down their guard’, WHO director-general says. The number of new coronavirus infections globally rose last week for the first time in seven weeks, the World Health Organization has said. “Some of it appears to be due to relaxing of public health measures, continued circulation …

What will it take to stay one step ahead of a mutating COVID-19?
4 years, 1 month ago

What will it take to stay one step ahead of a mutating COVID-19?

Al Jazeera  

As new variants of COVID-19 rage around the world, we examine how scientists are fighting to be able to anticipate them – and how this will translate into government policy at home. “What we’re not doing now is looking at how many people are going to the grocery store, or on public transport,” Cobey says – ie, epidemiologists still only …

COVID-19 pandemic increasing disparities, social fragmentation; threatening economy, geopolitical stability: WEF study
4 years, 2 months ago

COVID-19 pandemic increasing disparities, social fragmentation; threatening economy, geopolitical stability: WEF study

The Hindu  

The COVID-19 pandemic has not only claimed millions of lives, it is also increasing disparities and social fragmentation, while it will threaten the economy in the next 3-5 years and will weaken geopolitical stability over the next 5-10 years, a study showed on January 19, In its annual Global Risks Report, the World Economic Forum also termed ‘infectious diseases’ as …

Merkel, governors to meet amid fears over virus variants
4 years, 2 months ago

Merkel, governors to meet amid fears over virus variants

Associated Press  

BERLIN — Chancellor Angela Merkel is holding a virtual meeting Tuesday with the governors of Germany’s 16 states to discuss the country’s pandemic measures amid concerns that new mutations of the coronavirus could trigger a fresh surge in cases. The 7-day rolling average of daily new infections declined over the past two weeks, going from 21.36 new cases per 100,000 …

Scientists work out ways to prevent next pandemic
4 years, 2 months ago

Scientists work out ways to prevent next pandemic

Live Mint  

As 2021 begins with covid-19 continuing its global spread, scientists have spotlighted three approaches to reduce the risk of potential diseases – screening animals, reducing land-use change and improving health infrastructure. Following several multidisciplinary studies in 2020, scientists now firmly believe a “perfect storm” for an outbreak with pandemic potential is created by the combined forces of land-use change, high …

Calling COVID-19 crisis a "wake-up call," WHO experts warn next pandemic could be even worse
4 years, 2 months ago

Calling COVID-19 crisis a "wake-up call," WHO experts warn next pandemic could be even worse

Salon  

The Covid-19 pandemic has officially infected more than 80 million people and killed at least 1.7 million across the globe, and the daily death toll remains high in the U.S. and other major nations. Ryan's remarks came as nations across the globe continued rolling out and administering Covid-19 vaccines in massive inoculation campaigns that have sparked fears of "vaccine apartheid" …

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