WHILE ENGAGING in discussions on covid-19— vaccines, therapeutics, second or third waves, re-infection or re-opening the economy—we tend to overlook critical aspects, including where we went wrong, and what can be learnt from our mistakes to prepare for future pandemics. Debora Mackenzie, a journalist working in the area of infectious diseases with New Scientist for 36 years, chronicles the world’s response to covid-19. And as experts worldwide have been warning, she too forecasts an impending flu pandemic in her new book, covid-19: The Pandemic that Never Should Have Happened, and How to Stop the Next One.
Mackenzie has to cut short her holiday when she got her first alert on December 31, 2019 on ProMed—an online volunteer forum to monitoring reports of new infectious outbreaks. It was an alert hard to ignore. She then describes her travails in sourcing information from China, a country notorious for concealing information. Even during the outbreak of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (stars), China took two months to disclose it to the world by which time the infection had spread to other countries.
This story is from the November 16, 2020 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the November 16, 2020 edition of Down To Earth.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
A SPRIG TO CARE FOR
Punarnava, a perennial herb, is easy to grow and has huge health benefits
DIGGING A DISASTER
Soapstone mining near Dabti Vijaypur village has caused many residents to migrate.
REVIEW THE TREATMENT
Several faecal sludge treatment plants in Uttar Pradesh suffer from design flaws that make the treatment process both expensive and inefficient
MAKE STEEL SUSTAINABLE
As India works to double its GDP by 2030, its steel industry must balance growth with sustainability. By embracing policies like the Steel Scrap Recycling Policy 2019 and adopting green technologies, India is paving the way for a more sustainable future in steel production
Can ANRF pull off the impossible for India?
Anusandhan National Research Foundation is expected to reorient India's innovation goals but funding issues, old mindsets remain a drag
TROUBLED WOODS
Forests are a great bulwark against climate change. But this is fast changing. AKSHIT SANGOMLA travels through some of the pristine patches of the Western Ghats to explore how natural disturbances triggered by global warming now threaten the forest health
BLINDING GLOW
The science is clear: increased illumination has damaging consequences for the health of humans, animals and plants. It’s time governments introduced policies to protect the natural darkness and improved the quality of outdoor lighting.
GROUND REALITY
What happens when the soil loses the ability to grow healthy, high-yield crops on its own?
GM POLICY MUST BE FARMER CENTRIC
On July 23, the Supreme Court of India directed the Union government to develop a national policy on genetically modified (GM) crops for research, cultivation, trade and commerce through public consultation.
Vinchurni's Gandhi
A 96-year-old farmer transforms barren land into a thriving forest in drought-prone region of Satara
