And have we learned anything from the last one?
 | By Eliza Barclay Climate Editor, Opinion |
We still don't know whether the avian influenza H5N1, or bird flu, virus that has spread rapidly through a handful of mammal species, including pelicans and sea lions in Peru and raccoons in the United States, will spread easily among humans. But Cambodia this week reported one death of a girl infected with H5N1, and some public health leaders don't want to wait and find out. Jeremy Farrar, the incoming chief scientist at the World Health Organization, recently said it's time to start running Phase 1 and 2 trials for an H5N1 vaccine in case it does become a bigger threat to public health. |
The possibility of another pandemic following so closely on the heels of Covid-19 is horrifying to contemplate. How well would the United States navigate such a crisis? As David Wallace-Wells writes in his recent newsletter, which is exclusively for Times subscribers, the country has different leadership in place, but it still hasn't built some of the most important infrastructure that we learned we needed for limiting the spread of respiratory viruses, like a disease-surveillance network and widespread air filtration. The Food and Drug Administration may still be too sluggish to authorize new tests, and our health care work force is burned out. |
In David's view, it's also "hard to believe that the country is now capable of more solidarity and vigilance than it was in early 2020." But this opportunity for reflection is an opportunity to remember that failure is not inevitable, and the Covid-19 pandemic could still serve us well in preparing for the next one. |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
| Exclusive for Subscribers | | |
Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment