Next Pandemic Could Be ‘Worse’, AstraZeneca Vaccine Creator Warns

London | British scientist Sarah Gilbert, who co-created the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine against COVID-19, will warn that the next pandemic could be “worse”, calling for investment in research to better prepare for this eventuality.

This will not be the last time a virus threatens our lives and livelihoods. The truth is that the next stage could be worse. It could be more contagious, or more deadly, or both,” warns Sarah Gilbert, according to excerpts from a speech to be broadcast on the BBC on Monday night.

This word takes place in the framework of the Richard Dimbleby Conference, which brings together figures from the worlds of science, arts, or business.

The Oxford University vaccinology professor, who helped create a COVID-19 vaccine now in use in more than 170 countries, will call for “no loss” due to the lack of funding for scientific advances that have been made in the fight against the coronavirus.

“We cannot allow for a situation where, after going through everything we’ve been through, we find that the massive economic losses we’ve experienced mean that there is still no funding for pandemic preparedness.” , you have to say.

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Ms Gilbert should also talk about the Omicron variant, against which the UK has accelerated its booster vaccine campaign and brought back compulsory mask-wearing in transport and shops.

She will explain that this variant “contains already known mutations that increase the transmissibility of the virus” and that “antibodies caused by vaccines, or contamination by other variants, may be less effective at preventing omicron infection.”

“Until we know more, we must be vigilant and take action to slow the spread of this new species,” she pleads.

To curb the spread of this virus, the UK government announced last weekend that travelers to the UK will need to test negative before leaving.

They should already take a PCR test no later than two days after their arrival, and isolate themselves until the results come in.

The United Kingdom, one of the most bereaved countries in Europe with more than 145,500 deaths since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, on Sunday announced 246 positive cases of the Omicron variant, compared to 160 the day before.