ISANG taon matapos makilala ng mundo ang coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), nagbabala kamakailan ang World Health Organization (WHO) na maaaring maharap ang mundo na mas malaking pandemya sa hinaharap at hindi ito “lubusang” handa para sa kasalukuyang outbreak, lalo na sa susunod pa.

Ayon kay Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director ng WHO Health Emergencies, nasa mas mabuti nang kalagayan ang mundo sa usapin ng behavioral science, bakuna, science, diagnostic science, at iba pang larangan.

Gayunman, paalala ni Ryan sa WHO press conference, “we need to get ready for something that may even be more severe in the future.”

Aniya, matindi ang nararanasan nating pandemya, na mabilis na kumakalat sa buong mundo.

“This is not necessarily the big one. This virus is very transmissible, and kills people, and deprives so many people of loved ones,” ani Ryan. “But its current case fatality is reasonably low in comparison to other emerging diseases. This is a wake-up call.”

Nabanggit niya ang pahayag sa gitna ng pagsasara ng mga bansa ng kanilang border para sa mga biyahero mula United Kingdom dulot ng takot na mapasok ng bagong

COVID-19 variant na sinasabing higit na nakahahawa.

Pahayag ni Dr. Bruce Aylward, senior WHO adviser, “This virus is telling us we are not prepared. We’re now into second and third waves of this virus, and we’re still not prepared to deal with and manage those.”

“We’re prepared for flu better than we were in the past. We’re now better prepared for coronaviruses. But are we better prepared for the next pandemic?” paalala ni Aylward. “It would be folly to say that we’re fully prepared.”