Thread by @firefoxx66

"Are we better prepared?" asks @EckerleIsabella as she closes #SSM @SwissMicrobe with her keynote on challenges in prevention & preparedness for emerging viruses.
#SARSCoV2 & #monkeypox have highlighted these issues; what do we know & where do we stand?

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Perhaps particularly of note are viruses that aren't entirely new, but keep popping up, or appear in new hosts, new places, or with new symptoms a while after identification. How & how often does this happen?

Others we know well & have fought before, but appear again!

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Understanding viral emergence is also not just for viral biologists: there are so many factors that provide influence, from that virus and host to environmental, anthropic, and human-animal interface.

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In #SARSCoV2 we have moved from a phase of very unexpected variants to one with many Omicron "babies". What might dominate next -- will it be the same everywhere? We see a lot happening but exact prediction is difficult.

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What about #influenza #flu ? We saw little circulation during COVID measures, but it's made a big reappearance. This alone is a lot of pressure on hospitals & a lot of illness. What can we expect in the North, what should try & prepare for?

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And of course... Emerging viruses are part of larger and interconnected issues like #climatechange & biodiversity loss - along with changing use of land - and misinformation, fragmentation of our societies, & loss of trust.

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"We are jumping from virus to virus but never take time to invest in understanding & surveillance to fully understand them."
Surveillance often falls in a gap: research sees it as public health, public health sees it as research - nobody funds it though we would all benefit!

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And a great quote to finish.
"Any new disease that is emerging faster than our understanding is never under control."

I would argue it can also be applied to "old" viruses that may reappear and/or change faster than we can keep up!!

Fantastic talk by @EckerleIsabella! 🙌
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