[JohnBooty]

From the article:

   "We're talking about a device that we want to 
   have available in the worst case conditions and strangely
   enough, COVID-19 is not the worst case envisioned," he 
   said. 

Made me think.

Perhaps in 3, or 5, or 20 years....

Maybe we'll be thankful that COVID-19 was sort of a "training wheels" pandemic... something that helped to prepare us for the even worse pandemics that are sure to follow.

Deaths due to COVID-19 will be staggering, but it's somewhat mild as far as possible pandemic scenarios go. Imagine if it had mortality rates comparable to ebola, TB, etc.

When this blows over, the world should be better prepared for the next one, with better procedures.... emergency stockpiles of ventilators, masks, etc.

(Or at least we will be... until we go ten years without a pandemic... and all those stockpiles get liquidated in order to help some politician to balance a budget or whatever...)

[asdfman123]

Well, it's so bad because it's generally so mild. More severe illnesses were able to be contained because they made people very ill before they got infectious.

No one goes to work with a mild case of Ebola.

[dredmorbius]

A mild-onset-long-latency-ultimately-debilitating disease with high transmissibility might be a worst case. It could spread widely, evade detection, and not trigger immediate concern.

HIV/AIDS, several hepatitis variants, and tuberculosis approach thiS, as might syphilis in earlier times.

Kyle Harper's The Fate of Rome explores the notion that new diseases don't simply emerge, but co-evolve with their host populations and environments. The implications are disturbing.

https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/how-the-environment-topp...

[jmnicolas]

> for the even worse pandemics that are sure to follow

This is the first world pandemic in a hundred year, why should it become common ?

[ashwoods]

I think Climate change, population growth, travel, antimicrobial resistance are all good candidates in increasing the risk of this happening more often.

[Roark66]

Everything else, yes, but climate change? I can't imagine how climate change can significantly affect probability of next pandemic.

[underwater]

Displaced people? Displaced animal populations?

[JohnBooty]

Also, warmer temperatures will benefit a lot of diseases in a lot of places.

[nikofeyn]

http://nautil.us/issue/83/intelligence/the-man-who-saw-the-p...