Can genomic surveillance detect the next pandemic before it’s too late?

As the pandemic recedes in some regions, we are still left with lingering doubt about what the future will bring. As the virus continues to spread undetected in many countries and with limited interventions, we cannot be sure of the extent to which future mutational variants will challenge our health systems and impact disease severity.

As we turn our thoughts to a system reset, we rethink the meaning of public health. How do we plan for future zoonotic viruses and anti-microbial resistance (AMR) pandemics ahead of time? Continuous evaluation and work are needed if we are to learn the lessons of HIV.

Are we looking at implementing preventative and predictive surveillance programs? What is the strategy around establishing an integrated model fixing siloed bodies? Better disease forecasting and training in outbreak science will be fundamental to global preparedness, along with the adoption of advanced analytics and data science tools.

In this Inside Precision Medicine webinar, our distinguished expert guests, Dr. James Wood and Dr. William Haseltine will discuss the current state of infectious disease surveillance, its strengths, and shortcomings. Moreover, Drs. Wood and Haseltine will provide valued commentary on the lessons learned from the current pandemic and what needs to be done to better prepare for the inevitable next outbreak.