Next Pandemic Could be More Lethal than Covid

By Staff, Agencies 

Future pandemics could be even more lethal than Covid, one of the creators of the AstraZeneca vaccine said Monday.

Covid killed 5.26 million people across the world so far, according to Johns Hopkins University, wiped out trillions of dollars in economic output and turned life upside down for billions of people.

"The truth is, the next one could be worse. It could be more contagious, or more lethal, or both," Sarah Gilbert said in the Richard Dimbleby Lecture, the BBC reported. "This will not be the last time a virus threatens our lives and our livelihoods."

Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at the University of Oxford, said the world should make sure it is better prepared for the next virus.

"The advances we have made, and the knowledge we have gained, must not be lost," she said.

Gilbert mentioned how the omicron variant's spike protein contained mutations known to increase the transmissibility of the virus. 

"There are additional changes that may mean antibodies induced by the vaccines, or by infection with other variants, may be less effective at preventing infection with omicron," Gilbert said.

She further stated: "Until we know more, we should be cautious, and take steps to slow down the spread of this new variant."