Climate change threatens to spread viruses through an unprepared world: Study

Urgent action is needed to include environmentalism in Covid-19 recovery plans, a Lancet study says. Climate change is creating ideal conditions for infectious disease transmission and the world’s healthcare systems aren’t ready for the shock it will cause, according to a new study. After nations largely failed the stress test of Covid-19, a novel virus, decades of progress to control age-old illnesses such as malaria, dengue fever and cholera are under threat unless leaders commit to more ambitious climate plans, the Lancet said in a study Wednesday. The medical journal’s sixth annual report, named The Lancet Countdown, tracks 44 indicators of health impacts that are directly linked to climate change and highlight worsening social inequalities. Drawing on research from 38 academic institutions and United Nations agencies, the study by the British medical journal found that the potential for viral outbreaks is increasing most rapidly in developed countries. The danger of malaria infections is rising in cooler areas, while coasts around northern Europe and the U.S. are becoming more prone to bacteria that produce gastroenteritis and sepsis. The study also warned against a fossil fuel-driven economic recovery that funds oil, gas, and coal production, but gives limited support for clean energy. Instead, nations should create green jobs and safeguard health, the report said.