Five years after the pandemic, the world is poorly prepared for another one

Medical Xpress March 11, 2025
Anthony Staines, The Conversation

In Europe, ten people died from measles in 2024, and the US has had several major outbreaks. Bird flu has affected dairy herds in 17 US states from North Carolina to California and has just been reported in cats. So far, it is reluctant to spread among people, although people can both get it and give it to animals.

Between 500 and 1,000 people globally are now dying every week from COVID. This winter, health care in much of the developed world has been hit by a combination of flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and COVID, leading to rising hospital admissions and deaths. We don’t have real control of any of these diseases.