China's leading Covid expert is preparing for the next global pandemic. from The Tatva's blog

Global Pandemic Preparedness: Navigating Future Threats and Climate Change

As new Covid-19 variants emerge, scientists and doctors are not just focusing on current threats but are also preparing for future pandemics. They emphasize the significant role that climate change plays in the mutation and spread of infectious diseases. Zhang Wenhong, director of China’s National Medical Centre for Infectious Diseases, stated, “After the recent coronavirus pandemic, the whole world is preparing for the next global pandemic.”

In 2020, Zhang became a key figure in China’s battle against COVID-19, leading Shanghai’s clinical expert team. He has published numerous papers on public health and infectious diseases. Currently, he is spearheading a new initiative to investigate the link between climate change and infectious diseases.

The Impact of Climate Change on Global Pandemics

Zhang pointed out that researchers are increasingly focusing on how a warming climate affects the mutation and spread of pathogens. This area of study is gaining global attention as the planet’s climate continues to change.

For instance, a 2020 study in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres found that warming ocean surfaces in subtropical regions are expanding the tropics. Zhang explained, “The reservoir of bacteria and viruses is growing as the Earth warms.” This expansion allows pathogens and their carriers, like ticks and mosquitoes, to thrive in new areas, increasing the risk of infections for both animals and humans.

In the United States, tick-borne diseases such as encephalitis and Lyme disease are becoming more common. In China, mosquito-borne dengue fever is spreading to new regions. “It has been moving from the south, near the tropics, towards the north, and has now reached the Yangtze River Basin,” Zhang said. In Southeast Asia and Africa, malaria remains prevalent, with climate change being a major factor. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that climate change will affect the spread of vector-borne diseases like malaria due to changing temperatures and precipitation patterns.

The Covid-19 pandemic is believed to have originated from bats, whose habitats are expanding due to climate change. As northern areas like Alaska warm up, Zhang noted, “some species that have not emerged before may enter our human society,” including ancient bacteria and fungi. “So the work we are doing now is actually for the next pandemic.”