LONDON: Future pandemics could be even more lethal than Covid-19 so the lessons
learned from the outbreak must not be squandered and the world should ensure it is
prepared for the next viral onslaught, one of the creators of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine
said. The novel coronavirus has killed 5.26 million people globally, wiped out trillions of
dollars in economic output and turned life upside down for billions of people.

“The truth is, the next one could be worse. It could be more contagious, or more lethal, or
both,” Sarah Gilbert said in the Richard Dimbleby Lecture, BBC reported. “This will not be the
last time a virus threatens our lives and our livelihoods.” Gilbert, a professor of vaccinology at
the University of Oxford, said the world should make sure it is better prepared for the next
virus. “The advances we have made, and the knowledge we have gained, must not be lost,”
she said. Gilbert said the Omicron strain’s spike protein contained mutations known to
increase the transmissibility of the virus. “Until we know more, we should be cautious”

The warning came as Russia, Nepal and Thailand reported their first Omicron cases. “Two
citizens who returned to Russia from South Africa have been diagnosed with the Omicron
strain,” the country’s Rospotrebnadzor health agency said. The agency said that all Russians
returning from South Africa and its neighbouring countries are tested at the border and
placed in special observatories. Nepal detected two cases and Thailand one.

LONDON: Future pandemics could be even more lethal than Covid-19 so the lessons learned from the outbreak must not be squandered and the world should ensure it is prepared for the next viral onslaught, one of the creators of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine said. The novel coronavirus has killed 5.26 million people globally, wiped out trillions of dollars in economic output and turned life upside down for billions of people.