In the most recent Decoder episode, the interviewer explained the background to the global avian flu pandemic that is currently sweeping the world and threatening human health and economies.
Since January this year, when the first human died from bird flu in Louisiana, the virus has rapidly spread to mammals and poultry, causing mass deaths in birds and cows.
The Trump administration’s appointment of anti-vaccine activist Robert Kennedy Jr as head of the Department of Health and Human Services has done little to inspire confidence in fighting the virus.
Kennedy has suggested openly that the virus should be allowed to spread and kill all the birds, and has just announced a programme of redundancy for 10,000 HHS employees.
The interview highlights that while COVID-19 was a one-offsemic, the bird flu is here to stay, and we will need to learn how to manage it going forward.
It may also be an idea to follow the science, and not appoint hostile and ideological figures to public health roles.