How to Live with the Pandemic

The COVID-19 crisis has caused scientists, governments, and public-health experts to scramble to understand the relationship between the transmission of zoonotic diseases (those that jump from animals to humans) and environmental variability, patterns of human mobility, and commerce. In the process, it has become painfully clear how much we have yet to learn about the world around us.

But while no one can credibly predict what comes next, we can certainly be better prepared for the next phase of global life with COVID-19. In a sense, viewing the disease and its impact through multiple lenses – epidemiological, economic, political, and social – obstructs our vision. Without a systematic, holistic approach, leaders will continue to miss important pieces of the puzzle.