Will pharma companies be incentivized and/or mandated to develop financially unappealing vaccines?
No vaccines have yet been developed for older coronaviruses - SARS and MERS - simply because they’re not profitable. Maybe, had this been done, developing a vaccine for Covid-19 would have been much quicker. Ebola is also awaiting a vaccine for the same reason, and there’s always a chance its virus might also cause a pandemic one day.
Points to consider:
Points to consider:
- Will governments step up investments in vaccine development post Covid-19?
- Will this outbreak fundamentally change the process of development of vaccines?
- CNBC - Scientists were close to a coronavirus vaccine years ago. Then the money dried up
- The Free Market Isn’t Up to the Coronavirus Challenge
- NYT - Ebola Vaccine, Ready for Test, Sat on the Shelf
- Fortune - The coronavirus pandemic has shattered the status quo on drug development. We should build on that
Will unregulated food markets, in China and around the world, finally see proper regulation or a permanent ban?
SARS, MERS, Ebola virus, nCov, and countless other zoonotic viruses have sprung out of poorly regulated meat markets around the world, mainly in China and Africa. China's so-called wet markets were temporarily banned in the aftermath of SARS, but allowed to reopen shortly after only to wreak global havoc again. Putting a permanent stop to these markets, or regulating them in the right way, might be the most important step the global community could take for its health.
Points to consider:
Points to consider:
- What kind of economic and cultural incentives drive the continued existence of dangerous meat markets around the world?
- What could drive China to finally ban or properly regulate its meat markets?
- Will a ban on these markets cause potentially more dangerous black markets to spring up?
- Which levers does the international community have to pressure China?
- NPR - Why 'Wet Markets' Persisted In China Despite Disease And Hygiene Concerns
- Vox - Why new diseases keep appearing in China
- Science Direct - Risk factors in street food practices in developing countries
- Why shutting down Chinese ‘wet markets’ could be a terrible mistake
- The Hill - Closing wet markets could lead to black markets for live animals
- Reuters - Traditional markets blamed for virus outbreak are lifeline for Asia's poor
How will mental health be impacted by Covid-19?
A likely overlooked, though critical consequence, of Covid-19 will be its lasting impact on the mental health of the survivors, the doctors and the nurses, and the general population. It's telling that there are in-depth studies documenting the impact of 1918 Flu on nearly every aspect of human life, except mental health. The trauma of living through Covid-19, of watching loved ones die, of choosing who to let die given the limited resources, and of life in quarantine will leave deep scars on nearly everyone around the globe.
Points to consider:
Points to consider:
- Is the inevitable deterioration in mental health on the radar of public authorities?
- What steps could repair and restore mental health once the worst of the outbreak passes?
- How could modern tech - meditation apps, telemedicine - help in fortifying mental health?
- MIT Tech Review - The coronavirus pandemic is a game changer for mental health care
- Bloomberg - Quarantine for Coronavirus Has Serious Side Effects
- Mental Health Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Ripple or a Wave?
- WHO warning on lockdown mental health
- CDC - Public Mental Health Crisis in China during COVID-19