Thread by @Ayjchan

It's stressful to watch @TheLastofUsHBO after spending the last 3 years trying to understand the #OriginOfCovid

I don't think the world has gotten better at detecting and responding to novel outbreaks. The pandemic has heralded an era of increased virus hunting and manipulation.

@TheLastofUsHBO We're stuck contemplating whether the next pandemic will come from the supposed millions of spillovers of viruses from animals to people vs growing numbers of scientists engaging in pathogen research with unpredictable outcomes in not necessarily the appropriate biosafety level.

@TheLastofUsHBO Most of us are still recovering from this pandemic. I'm not sure what normal people are supposed to do if a similar or worse pathogen emerges in the next 10 years - whether due to increased risky pathogen research or invasion of natural habitats.

@TheLastofUsHBO *SPOILER warning*

There's got to be some effective intermediate response between "just get your flu shot" (how a large number of scientific leaders reacted to Covid-19) and "bomb the entire city" (plot of @TheLastofUsHBO) when experts hear of a novel pathogen.

@TheLastofUsHBO I think reality favors underplaying novel emerging pathogens (unless you're writing a grant application for research funding). Trying to calm the public into thinking it's NBD and to carry on as usual.

Is the assumption that future pandemics will not have a high mortality rate?

@TheLastofUsHBO I don't think anyone serious thinks zombies are going to happen, but it does make you wonder what you're supposed to do when you turn on the news and there's a new pathogen wreaking havoc somewhere on the other side of the globe.

@TheLastofUsHBO Do we have channels for accurate information to spread around the world in real-time? Can we trust scientists and politicians to focus on the facts and not on selling a narrative that will elicit their desired reaction from the public?