Covid-19 left an indelible mark as a global trauma. In Berlin, where I was based, I vividly recall Chancellor Angela Merkel announcing the lockdown. Following that, we experienced home-schooling, the wearing of masks, PCR tests, deserted airports, and the sorrow of friends losing parents alone in medical facilities. It was a challenging time.
Recent reports of outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola have revived those memories. A friend wondered if these could be the next Covid. However, according to Apoorva Mandavilli, a science and global health reporter, there is more to consider than immediate concern.
Hygienists disinfect a market in Bunia, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Photo: Arlette Bashizi for The New York Times
Assessing Our Readiness for New Pandemics
Recent incidents have echoed the Covid-19 experience for many: unexplained deaths on a cruise ship, a virus causing severe respiratory issues, and discussions on enforced quarantines. Even before scientists concluded the hantavirus outbreak would not become a pandemic, news came of an escalating Ebola outbreak in central Africa, with numerous suspected cases and several fatalities.
Unlike Covid-19, neither hantavirus nor Ebola is expected to globally devastate. Hantavirus can lead to severe illness and death but lacks the contagious nature needed to spread widely. Ebola poses a greater threat, yet the World Health Organization (WHO) believes it is likely to remain mostly contained within the Democratic Republic of Congo and nearby regions.
These outbreaks serve as reminders of the inevitability of viral occurrences, highlighting the necessity for global readiness to contain them early. This was a key topic during a recent annual WHO meeting attended by health officials worldwide.