The pandemic progressed – and so did our understanding. This month we look at what happened, from the start of the outbreak to the end of the public health emergency of international concern.
A global coalition of governments, philanthropies, businesses and scientists is working to get lifesaving tests, treatments and vaccines from the lab to people who need them as quickly as possible. But the world needs to do more to keep new diseases from stealing lives and livelihoods.
It’s impossible to predict the type and magnitude of the next pandemic pathogen threat. But learning from past pandemic responses and preparations can help us take proactive steps to increase the chances of taming any future outbreak or pandemic.
Whether a disease outbreak grows to become a pandemic depends on a complex interplay of factors, including the case fatality rate, transmissibility and replication rates of the pathogen, and if it causes pronounced symptoms or spreads asymptomatically. In addition, societal trends that are increasing human and animal contact, such as urbanization and climate change, may facilitate zoonotic spillover and accelerate the spread of high-risk infectious diseases20.
As the outbreak progressed, the global community made an impressive effort to prevent it from spreading, but it has been hard for many countries to stop it – especially those that were least prepared. This is a crucial time to focus efforts on building stronger global health systems and enhancing preparedness for the next crisis, whatever it might be.