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The government will invest 400 million over the next four years in investigating a pandemic. A new national virus and pandemic research program will be launched, which will last for ten years. It follows from the research budget that will be presented tomorrow.
According to the Research Minister, it is the future pandemics, but also the current corona pandemic, that research money can be used for.
– For example, research on how to get the general public to follow recommendations and make changes in behavior, vaccines, new drugs, but also things like how viruses are transmitted and research on health effects after suffering an illness of this type, says Matilda Ernkrans (S).
“Fantastic initiative”
Björn Olsen, professor of infectious disease medicine, is pleasantly surprised by the news.
– It’s a fantastic initiative, he says.
The important thing about pandemic research is finding ways to stop the virus at its source, believes Björn Olsen.
– It is best to stop an outbreak where it occurs, whether among wild or domestic animals, before it enters humans. Because once it reaches humans and causes a pandemic, it will be incredibly expensive and problematic, he says.
Money is not late
Once the new funding for pandemic research has been paid, the corona pandemic is likely to be gone, but Björn Olsen doesn’t think the money will come too late.
– No, it is not too late because the corona pandemic is a rehearsal for the next pandemic. Because it’s not about whether we have another pandemic, but when we have another pandemic, he says.
Björn Olsen believes that the next pandemic is more likely to be caused by an influenza virus than a coronavirus.
– During the mother of all pandemics, the Spanish flu, there were high death rates among those between 20 and 40 years old. If we have a new flu pandemic that behaves that way in today’s world, the effects would be catastrophic. That is why it is so important to invest in this type of research to be able to identify the virus early, so that we can also have countermeasures early.
According to the Minister of Research, we must be better prepared when the next pandemic occurs.
– Although we currently have good medical and virus research in Sweden, we will need to strengthen it for the future. The corona pandemic has taught us that. Pandemics will continue to find us and then we will be better prepared, says Matilda Ernkrans (S), Minister of Research.
