Another Pandemic Imminent? Top UK Scientists Believes So

International

oi-Amit Vasudev

The
world
has
not
fully
recovered
from
the
impact
of
Covid-19
yet,
and
now
there’s
another
shocking
news
coming
in.
A
top
British
scientist
has
raised
alarm
and
warned
that
another
pandemic
is
“absolutely
inevitable”.

Sir
Patrick
Vallance,
former
chief
scientific
adviser
to
the
British
government,
has
urged
the
UK
government
to
prepare
for
what’s
about
to
come.
He
stressed
on
the
fact
that
the
country
is
“not
ready”
for
it
yet.

According
to
the
Guardian
report,
Vallance
was
speaking
at
an
event
at
the
Hay
Festival
in
Powys,
where
he
emphasised
that
the
UK
must
implement
“better
surveillance”
methods
to
detect
virus
threats.

The
top
scientist
also
suggested
a
few
tips
to
prevent
a
pandemic-like
situation.
Measures
such
as
vaccines,
diagnostic
tests,
and
treatments
can
go
a
long
way
in
helping
the
health
workers
fight
the
virus,
he
added.
He
also
said
that
while
these
things
could
be
implemented,
it
would
still
require
coordination.

Covid-19
Reverses
10
Years
Of
Life
Expectancy
Gains:
WHO

“We
know
we
have
to
have
an
army,
not
because
there’s
going
to
be
a
war
this
year,
but
we
know
it’s
an
important
part
of
what
we
need
as
a
nation.
We
need
to
treat
this
preparedness
in
the
same
way
and
not
to
view
it
as
an
easy
thing
to
keep
cutting
back
when
there’s
no
sign
of
a
pandemic
–
because
there
won’t
be
a
sign
of
a
pandemic,”
Vallance
said,
as
quoted
by
The
Guardian.

He
said
that
the
WHO’s
pandemic
accord
is
a
“positive
step”.
However,
he
didn’t
mince
his
words
in
criticising
it
for
its
“lack
of
urgency
and
focus”.

Last
week,
WHO
said
that
Covid-19
has
cut
short
the
global
life
expectancy
by
almost
two
years.
As
per
the
world
health
statistics
study
by
WHO,
global
life
expectancy
has
fallen
by
1.8
years
to
71.4
years
–
going
back
to
2012
level.