World didn't learn SARS lessons for coronavirus fight
The novel coronavirus outbreak has exposed a lack of global research on methods to combat the spread of infectious diseases, with health authorities failing to uncover lessons from previous flare-ups, experts say.
The last outbreak of worldwide significance was the SARS virus scare of the first 2000s, which killed 774 people. Recently the Mers virus killed a lot more than 850 people, although the outbreak was generally contained to the Middle East.
Although scientists taken care of immediately both diseases, formulating treatment plans and eventually vaccines, professionals say the brand new coronavirus epidemic shows there's not been any sustained, coordinated efforts on infectious diseases.
"All too often, the surge of study attention and expenditure that novel outbreaks generate quickly wane when those outbreaks subside and different priorities take their place," Jason Schwartz, assistant professor in Yale's Department of Well being Policy and Management, told AFP.
"SARS and Mers demonstrated the global wellbeing risk posed by coronaviruses and the necessity for a sustained investment found in better understanding these infections with a attention toward avoidance and treatment strategies."
Bruno Canard, a virologist at France's National Center for Scientific Research, said that some countries, notably EU members, launched coordinated exploration programs following SARS.
But the financial crisis of 2008 squeezed out funding, he explained, lamenting a "scientific world on financial life support."
For Johan Neyts, professor of virology and president of the Belgian-based, International Contemporary society for Antiviral Research (ISAR), the community missed a possibility after SARS, which is closely related to the new coronavirus.
"If we'd invested starting in 2003 at the SARS epidemic buying medication that might be dynamic against coronas by now we could have had a stockpile that could have been active from this fresh one," he told AFP.
"We missed a chance. It's a terrorist assault of a virus which we could have prevented, more persons are going to die, it's rather a shame."
There are now seven known coronaviruses that are transmissible among humans. Canard said coordinated study could have generated a broad-spectrum treatment against all of them, granted their genetically similar profile.
But to take action scientific efforts would need government funding.
Neyts estimated the price tag on finding a good coronavirus treatment safe and sound to manage at scale to come to be 250-300 million euros ($275-325 million).
"That is basically peanuts, if you review that to the human suffering that we seeing now, and to the monetary losses," he said.
In addition to funding, medical research as well takes time. Years, actually. And Canard explained the world is currently reacting against the novel coronavirus from a position start.
"To develop a molecule (against coronaviruses), that calls for years," he said. "You need to have medical trials and for that you'll require people who are sick with the virus."
He warned that more coronaviruses will probably spread among humans in a long time as we continue steadily to destroy the habitats of species that take the diseases.
"We disappointed our safeguard and the acceleration of the viruses emergencies will be faster and more rapidly because of climate change, biodiversity reduction and deforestation," said Canard.
