Forbes - Viruses and climate change

Plus: Covid cases in Taiwan more than double in 3 days

Climate change could fuel future pandemics by dramatically increasing the risk that viruses will jump from animals to humans, researchers warned this week, Forbes reporter Robert Hart writes. The study, published in Nature, noted that at least 10,000 virus species have the capacity to infect humans but most are currently only circulating in wild animals. As the climate continues to warm, many animals will have to look for new places to live, bringing them (and any pathogens) in closer contact with humans. Most of the transmission will likely be driven by bats, which can travel large distances and are widely believed to be the source of Covid-19. The researchers predict there could be around 15,000 new instances of viruses crossing between animals and humans by 2070. 

There was a case of H5 bird flu virus reported in Colorado this week, which would be the first recorded case of the virus in humans in the U.S. A man working at a poultry plant tested positive, but it’s possible he may have had the virus present in his nose due to close contact with infected birds and not a full-blown infection. This is why it’s all the more important that the CDC is modernizing how it models and communicates health threats and outbreak risks with the establishment of the new Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics. But as Forbes contributor William Haseltine points out, “the system will only be as effective as the data it receives,” which will require adequate funding and cooperation from state and public health departments. 

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More Covid News

Authorities in Beijing ordered the switch to online classes for several schools in the city and locked down a number of residential compounds and offices, stoking concerns the Chinese capital could head toward Shanghai-style prolonged lockdows as Covid cases inch upwards.

Polling in recent months indicates many parents are still skeptical about vaccinating their children under 5 against Covid, and may not do so right away when the FDA authorizes a vaccine.

The U.S. is facing a critical shortage of medical laboratory professionals as people leave the job due to Covid-related burnout. 

The pandemic is widening the gap when it comes to levels of depression among different age groups, according to a new report from the COVID States Project. 

What Else We Are Reading

• Are We in the Middle of an Invisible COVID Wave? (The Atlantic)

• Researchers test the power of machine learning to unravel long Covid’s mysteries (Stat)

• Half of churches say Sunday school, other education programs disrupted by pandemic (Religion News)