"Pandemics and Climate change are the top 2 risks facing every government. We knew this would come and thought it would be flu so a coronavirus took us by surprise. We have the best surveillance in the world from the WHO outwards. History suggests it’s a rare event. Scientists now think that the way humans live these days and what we have done to the world makes them more likely. There’s more guarantee that we won’t have another one in the next 100 years." SG should investigate why we seemed so unprepared and reactive to the pandemic.
This is perhaps a once in a generation for the pandemic and lessons will be learned with regards to dealing with a mass outbreak
SARS in 2002 though not as directly harmful as covid 19, but was a warning bell sounding, if it had been more virulent this situation we are in now would have been reciprocated then. We cant presume that pandemics will be few and far between, plan for the worst hope for the best.! Lives were lost due to government failing to action recommendations found after the (cygnus) exercise in 2011.
I think this should be a priority for the Scottish Government. No-one can know what viruses may be up ahead and how prepared a country is, just to sure, is vital in its first step to fight against the unexpected.
The likliehood of future pandemics looks to be high, (due to the way we treat our planet), the likliehood of finding a vaccine, again, within a year look to be very low. This is therefore possibly for me the most important point - if we don't learn from the past we're condemned to repeat it, I certainly don't want another 2020!
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