Global Scans · Coronavirus · Weekly Summary

Future potential spread of the coronavirus is impacting world trade and threatens a global economic recession and inflection point. For the first time, Illness is now a major driving force. We first reported this virus way back in 2010 and regularly since July 2015 as a predictable surprise: a known unknown to most. It is not a Black Swan; it was foreseen! Forewarned is forearmed and forearmed is protection against unpleasant possibilities and this inflection point will most likely change everyone's future profoundly.

Here are some actions you could take offered by and our friends at WavePoint and BCG and McKinsey.

Companies are asking people to work from home (we have always worked from our homes since 2003). We think the latter will become a long-term and rapidly growing trend as people reduce traveling time, buy more online, and increasingly recognize the benefits to their health of staying home. More emerging, potential behavioral trends here. Begin regularly evaluating predictable surprises, be prepared and act in time, while others lose their shirt through inattention to the future.

• [New] The global health community lacks a clear grasp of the degree to which COVID-19 spread within North Korea and whether it might be a breeding ground for new variants given the already dire lack of health care, poor nutrition, rampant disease (e.g., tuberculosis), and weak vaccine infrastructure. George W. Bush Presidential Center
• [New] Failing to build on mRNA research now makes the United States more vulnerable to infectious diseases like influenza or COVID, to future pandemics, to biological attacks, and to other health threats. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
• [New] The US Food and Drug Administration has approved Moderna's updated COVID-19 vaccines, Spikevax and mNEXSPIKE, for the 2025-2026 respiratory virus season. ContagionLive
• [New] As new COVID vaccines for the 2025-2026 season begin arriving at pharmacies and doctors' offices, last year's vaccine may be harder to find. AARP
• [New] Millions of euro worth of Covid vaccines will be thrown out by the HSE again in 2025, posing major concern at a time when so many health services are in serious financial need. Irish Independent
• [New] The removal of marketing authorizations for all but high-risk populations and the potential for more limited recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will make COVID-19 vaccinations difficult to obtain for many Americans. American Medical Association
• [New] Colorado said it will act quickly to ensure that all Coloradans have access to updated COVID-19 vaccines. Insurance Journal
• [New] Since the CDC no longer recommends Covid-19 vaccines for healthy children, there is confusion among parents and healthcare providers about whether children will be able to get Covid vaccines or other routine vaccines. The Guardian
• [New] The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends boosters for children who are regularly around someone at high risk of severe COVID, such as cancer patients or older grandparents. WebMD
• [New] People who have not been vaccinated in more than a year, and are at risk for severe complications should they get COVID, get vaccinated with the currently available shots now. Los Angeles Times
• [New] Even without a major winter strain with moderate immune-escape properties, COVID-19 hospitalization rates during the fall and winter of 2025-2026 may be higher than that of last season, due to decreased population immunity following the projected relatively mild summer wave. CFA: Qualitative Assessments
• The Food and Drug Administration last month approved updated COVID-19 vaccines but only for Americans 65 and older, and younger adults and children with health conditions that put them at higher risk for severe COVID-19. Newsday
• The risk of long COVID, which affects an estimated 400 million people globally, is significantly reduced with the vaccine, research shows. AARP
• New Mexico is taking steps to make the COVID-19 vaccine more readily available in pharmacies, and other states are expected to follow. AARP
• There is a long list of health conditions that the CDC says can increase a person's risk of severe illness from a coronavirus infection. AARP
• The COVID pandemic awakened Americans to the danger of relying on Chinese-sourced goods like antibiotics, medical gear, and rare earth elements vital to the tech and defence industries. The Heritage Foundation
• Geopolitical tensions, supply chain vulnerabilities (as seen during COVID-19), and overdependence on East Asia (Taiwan, South Korea) have prompted nations to diversify supply chains. KPs 21st Century IAS Academy
• The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerabilities of global chip supply chains, underscoring their strategic importance. IASbaba

Last updated: 14 September 2025