To prevent the next pandemic, we might need to cut down fewer trees
Reducing tropical deforestation and limiting the wildlife trade might be cost-effective ways of stopping pandemics before they start, a new analysis finds. About once every two years, a virus jumps from animals to humans, raising the specter of a pandemic like COVID-19. These “spillover events” are becoming increasingly common as humans encroach further into the natural world and have originated some of the worst outbreaks in recent memory, including SARS, Ebola, HIV and likely the new coronavirus too. Whether a spillover explodes into a pandemic depends on many factors, including qualities of the virus itself and how humans respond to it. But some biologists argue that pandemic preparedness should start with reducing the likelihood of spillover events in the first place, by fighting deforestation, monitoring farmed animals and limiting the wildlife trade. Such interventions would cost roughly $20 billion to $30 billion each year, according to an analysis in the July 24 Science....