“We can’t get caught like this again; this was a tremendous wake-up call.”

Scientists around the world are already bracing for the inevitable next pandemic, which they fear could be far worse than Covid-19. Experts interviewed by Robert Roy Britt for Elemental note that Covid-19 has a low case fatality rate compared to other emerging diseases. And right now, one potentially harmful new pathogen is discovered every year. As humans continue to encroach on spaces where wild animals live, even more “pathogen spillover” could occur, and increasing globalization and inadequate health care may make the next…