Barely three years after a pandemic disrupted life around the globe, reports of avian influenza infections moving from birds into mammals are surfacing. While it may be understandable that we were caught off guard by COVID–19, we must thoughtfully implement everything we learned about SARS-CoV-2 to try to prevent another pandemic from a much deadlier virus. In fact, the H5N1 avian influenza virus, which has already spilled beyond the avian population, is sending warning signals that we must take seriously right now.
COVID-19 clarified several key points regarding infectious diseases: