This is the starting point for our section on the COVID-19, built as an interactive table of content for all our publications on this theme: from analyses and fact-checking to scenario-building and indicators through bibliographies.
We put the coronavirus under watch, internally, very early in January 2020, and then launched a first warning on 13 January, following the WHO. We started then monitoring the COVID-19 actively, and published first on the issue on 29 January 2020.
It was already clear we were faced with an increasingly likely global threat. We are glad to report that some of our members could use our warnings and publications to plan ahead and avoid even worse impacts.
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Table of Content
1- Resources to monitor the COVID-19
- Resources to monitor the COVID-19 Pandemic
The “new Coronavirus COVID-19 epidemic outbreak” became the COVID-19 pandemic. With time we learn more about the SARS-CoV-2 (the virus), the COVID-19 (the disease) and its multiple components and impacts. As a result, we must continue to closely monitor it, using the best possible ressources available. All actors should also develop scenarios to make sure …Continue reading “Resources to monitor the COVID-19 Pandemic”
2- Planning ahead in times of COVID-19 pandemic
- Long COVID and the Fifth Wave – Three Scenarios
(Art design: Jean-Dominique Lavoix-Carli) Long COVID could be the next battle we have to fight and win in our struggle against the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, in this article, we seek to assess Long COVID in the framework of the fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. This will also give us possible indications regarding how Long …Continue reading “Long COVID and the Fifth Wave – Three Scenarios”
- Long COVID and the Fifth Wave – The Hidden Pandemic
(Art design: Jean-Dominique Lavoix-Carli) More than 110 million people have experienced or still suffer from Long COVID since the start of the pandemic (Chen Chen et al., full references and detail of calculation below). This is the number that follows from the findings of a study systematically reviewing the research done on Long COVID until …Continue reading “Long COVID and the Fifth Wave – The Hidden Pandemic”
- The Fifth Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lethality
(Art design: Jean-Dominique Lavoix-Carli) As the global fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic has now started, should we be worried about it? How lethal will it be? This article and the next will focus on direct health-related impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic fifth wave. Indeed, these effects are those that determine all others. Here, we …Continue reading “The Fifth Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Lethality”
- Towards a Covid-19 Fifth Wave
Are we at the beginning of a fifth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic? If yes, is it dangerous and should we be worried about it? Alternatively, is the COVID-19 pandemic over? Has the COVID-19 pandemic evolved towards an endemic illness that is not more dangerous than the seasonal flu? Meanwhile, have we just accepted COVID-19 … - COVID-19 Vaccinations, Hope or Mirage?
(Art design: Jean-Dominique Lavoix-Carli Photo: torstensimon) The world has started a race for immunisation against the COVID-19. Vaccines are now perceived as the universal panacea, the miracle that will save us all from the pandemic. We shall, finally, be able to find back our old life. Are we right to hope? Or are we likely to … - How China Could Win the War against the Covid-19 Pandemic
(Art design: Jean-Dominique Lavoix-Carli) As 2021 starts, Europe struggles again against a COVID-19 new wave and the spread of new SARS-CoV-2 variants. Japan strengthens its state of emergency against the COVID-19. The U.S. reports 4.462 deaths on 12 January 2021, i.e. almost precisely 1,5 time 9/11. Meanwhile, China also fights a rise in new symptomatic …Continue reading “How China Could Win the War against the Covid-19 Pandemic”
- France and 3 Scenarios for the COVID-19 Second Wave
Design: Jean-Dominique Lavoix-Carli Eleven months into the COVID-19 pandemic the second wave spreads. More than 50 million people were contaminated globally by 9 November 2020 (COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University). More than 1.25 million people had died by then (ibid.). On 10 November, Europe crossed …Continue reading “France and 3 Scenarios for the COVID-19 Second Wave”
- Scenarios to Navigate the COVID-19 Pandemic and its Possible Futures (1)
This article presents nested scenarios to handle the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our aim is to provide an organised framework to foresee the future of our world as it lives through the pandemic, while easing understanding. Such a comprehension, which brings together the past, the present and possible futures is necessary to allow …Continue reading “Scenarios to Navigate the COVID-19 Pandemic and its Possible Futures (1)”
- Scenarios for the Covid-19 and Post-Covid-19 Worlds – a Bibliography
The COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 worlds are fraught with uncertainties. We still have to face many unknown regarding the disease and thus the pandemics (e.g. Julie Steenhuysen, “Scientists just beginning to understand the many health problems caused by COVID-19“, Reuters, 26 June 2020). Yet, we must take decisions and act when the fog clouds our horizon. …Continue reading “Scenarios for the Covid-19 and Post-Covid-19 Worlds – a Bibliography”
- The emergence of a COVID-19 international order
The COVID-19 seems to plunge the world further into a deep confusion. Messages are most of the time contradictory. They vary according to countries and actors, from “the epidemic is behind us”, “let us all go back to business as usual and work towards recovery” to worries of possible starting new pandemic wave. This confusion …Continue reading “The emergence of a COVID-19 international order”
- Dynamics of contagion and the COVID-19 Second Wave
This article, using scientific knowledge, looks at the COVID-19 dynamics of contagion to identify ideal measures that should be taken to stop contagion. These ideal measures, then, compared with real policies will allow assessing the potential for a second wave. Our aim, for this series, is to find ways to improve how we foresee if, …Continue reading “Dynamics of contagion and the COVID-19 Second Wave”
- The Hidden Origin of the COVID-19 and the Second Wave
In this article we explore the way the COVID-19 pandemic was born and, hidden, spread globally. Learning from this very early process, we deduce initial key elements and indicators to monitor and control the COVID-19 second wave and recurrent ones. With this series of articles we are looking for ways to better estimate the likelihood …Continue reading “The Hidden Origin of the COVID-19 and the Second Wave”
- COVID-19 and Food Insecurity Early Warning
This brief article is a first early warning about food insecurity resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The danger is rising and deserves further and more in-depth analysis and monitoring. As the COVID-19 pandemic developed, we immediately added food insecurity on our watch list of issues to monitor (see our COVID-19 section). To date, mid-May 2020, …Continue reading “COVID-19 and Food Insecurity Early Warning”
- Models for the COVID-19 Second Wave
Europe, the Middle East, Oceania, part of South Asia and the U.S. progressively exit the COVID-19 lockdowns and relax the most severe social distancing measures. In the meantime, China, Singapore and South Korea, the countries that were hit first and succeeded in controlling the first wave, appear to face different dynamics after easing of anti-COVID-19 … - The Strange Case of Sweden in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Many countries hit by the pandemic are now exiting or about to exit the period of most stringent isolation measures. Indeed, they estimate they succeeded in controlling contagion. Meanwhile, they avoided the dreaded break down of their health-care system, which could have taken place if hospitals had been overwhelmed. In Europe, one country stands apart, …Continue reading “The Strange Case of Sweden in the COVID-19 Pandemic”
- The COVID-19, Immunity and Isolation Exit Strategy
One of the critical and key uncertainty about the COVID-19, among so many, is the immunity a patient may have after recovery from the COVID-19. In other words, can someone who recovered from the COVID-19 catch the disease again and infect other people again? As long as we have neither vaccine nor fully efficient antiviral …Continue reading “The COVID-19, Immunity and Isolation Exit Strategy”
- COVID-19 Antiviral Treatments and Scenarios
The world is now struggling to know how to face the COVID-19 pandemic. We want to know how long the pandemic will last. Actually, what we want to know is when the pandemic will end and when life will be able to resume normally. As we explained in the opening article for this series, to …Continue reading “COVID-19 Antiviral Treatments and Scenarios”
- The COVID-19 Pandemic, Surviving and Reconstructing
The COVID-19 pandemic is now a global fact. It still involves many uncertainties. At present and in the near future, we need to handle the ongoing pandemic as a global catastrophic crisis with complex cascading impacts. We also need to start thinking about reconstruction. We are here concerned with reconstruction that will allow polities to …Continue reading “The COVID-19 Pandemic, Surviving and Reconstructing”
- Worst Case Baseline Scenarios for the COVID-19 Pandemic
On 11 March Chancellor Merkel warned that the SARS-CoV-2 – the virus for the COVID-19 – could infect between 60 and 70% of Germany’s population (DW, “Coronavirus: Germany’s Angela Merkel urges ‘solidarity and reason‘”, 11 March 2020). She was accused to spread panic (Ibid.). Chancellor Merkel’s point was to highlight the very real danger Germans …Continue reading “Worst Case Baseline Scenarios for the COVID-19 Pandemic”
- Why the COVID-19 is NOT a Black Swan Event
As the COVID-19 spreads throughout the world, its cascading and multiple impacts deepen. As a result, fear spreads. Meanwhile, finance and business firms now started promoting the idea that the COVID-19 epidemic was a “black swan event”. For example, Goldman Sachs, in its Top of Mind, issue 86 (February 28, 2020) featured an article titled …Continue reading “Why the COVID-19 is NOT a Black Swan Event”
3- Analyses
These in-depth articles help understanding the threat. They are companions to more future-orientated articles.
- Omicron Variant – “the Good, the Bad and the ‘Intriguing’” – Warning
(Art design: Jean-Dominique Lavoix-Carli Photo: Gerd Altmann) This brief article is an updated warning about the threat created by the Omicron variant. It is assessed with 15, 22 and 23 December 2021 information. It concerns a series of indications related to the risks of hospitalisation, to vaccination and to incubation period for the Omicron variant. …Continue reading “Omicron Variant – “the Good, the Bad and the ‘Intriguing’” – Warning”
- Omicron Variant – “Major, Imminent Threat” Warning
(Art design: Jean-Dominique Lavoix-Carli Photo: Gerd Altmann) This brief article is a warning assessed over 15 to 18 December 2021 about the very serious, indeed “major, imminent threat” created by the Omicron variant (Neil Ferguson in Emily Head, Dr Sabine L. van Elsland, “Omicron largely evades immunity from past infection or two vaccine doses“, ICL …Continue reading “Omicron Variant – “Major, Imminent Threat” Warning”
- Losing Texas to Climate Change and the COVID-19?
(Art design: Jean-Dominique Lavoix-Carli) From Texas with Cold In February 2021, a “polar vortex ” swept through the U.S. and triggered a “perfect (winter) storm” that ravaged Texas (Johny Diaz, Guilia Mc Donnell, Nieto del Rio, Richar Faussett, “ Texas extreme cold snap has killed residents in their homes, cars and backyards”, SBS News, 20 …Continue reading “Losing Texas to Climate Change and the COVID-19?”
- China, the “Health Silk Road” of Vaccines, and Security
Beyond the proliferation of the Chinese vaccine Enters Sinopharm On 14 January, Hungary’s government signed an agreement with the giant company Sinopharm in order to purchase millions of doses of the Chinese CoronaVac (CCV) (“In EU first, Sinopharm Coronavirus vaccine approved by Hungary”, Nikkei Asia, 31 January, 2021). One week before, it had made a …Continue reading “China, the “Health Silk Road” of Vaccines, and Security”
- Is the COVID-19 Second Wave coming to China?
The second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is sweeping through the world. It reached first the U.S., Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. By mid-November 2020 it started being visible in Eastern Asia (e.g. Reuters Covid-19 Global Tracker: World and Asia and the Middle East). By the end of November 2020, South Korea and …Continue reading “Is the COVID-19 Second Wave coming to China?”
- Chimerica 3: The geopolitics of the U.S.-China turbo-recession
The American consumer is turning into a self-conscious, active, geopolitical and strategic actor on the world stage. This appears through its new and very negative attitude towards purchasing “made in China” goods (Brendan Murray, “Americans give the Made-in-China the cold shoulder”, Bloomberg, 17 May 2020). Towards the great decoupling? As it happens, for the last …Continue reading “Chimerica 3: The geopolitics of the U.S.-China turbo-recession”
- COVID-19 Vaccine and Uncertainty Early Warning
This brief article is a first early warning about possible uncertainty regarding vaccines against the COVID-19 and mass vaccination for the pandemic. Despite multiple ‘good news’ announcements invading media, business and policy-makers circles, and governments’ establishment, some indications potentially of coming dangers multiply and deserve further and more in-depth analysis and monitoring. As the COVID-19 …Continue reading “COVID-19 Vaccine and Uncertainty Early Warning”
- The U.S.-China COVID-19 Competition (2): America and Chimerica in Crisis
The COVID-19 pandemic is hammering the United States. Thus, it is pummeling the deep U.S.-China economic interdependency, also known as “Chimerica” (Jean-Michel Valantin, “The US-China Covid-19 Competition (1)”, The Red (Team) Analysis, April 17, 2020). (Traduction française automatique par intelligence artificielle.) The mammoth impact of the pandemic on the U.S. results from the shutting down …Continue reading “The U.S.-China COVID-19 Competition (2): America and Chimerica in Crisis”
- The COVID-19 and the U.S.-China competition (1)
What is “great powers competition” in a time of global confinement? As we write this article, half of the human species is or has been confined in homes or apartments, in cities and slums. In China, for example, confinement is a massive political and social undertaking. All around the world hundreds of millions of people …Continue reading “The COVID-19 and the U.S.-China competition (1)”
- No return to the past with the COVID-19
On 11 March, the WHO characterised the COVID-19 as a pandemic. The probability to see the WHO, finally, accepting the label had been rising everyday. Indeed, we have witnessed the proliferation of clusters and outbreaks globally, that led to the emergence of multiple epidemic centres. Since we first published this article, the pandemic intensified. On … - COVID-19: Anticipation, Timing and Influence – From Mobility Restriction to Medicine Shortage
Scenarios regarding the future of the COVID-19 epidemic outbreak in China and globally vary wildly (David Cyranoski, “When will the coronavirus outbreak peak?“, Nature, 18 February 2020). The estimates go from the outbreak peaking at the end of February 2020 to months away with millions infected (Ibid.). The WHO Director-General stressed the necessity to remain … - The Coronavirus COVID-19 Epidemic Outbreak is Not Only about a New Virus
The coronavirus epidemic is “a very grave threat” because “Viruses can have more powerful consequences than any terrorist action”. This is what the WHO Director stressed as an international meeting of 400 scientists and other experts convened in Geneva (Sarah Boseley, “Coronavirus should be seen as ‘public enemy number one’, says WHO“, The Guardian, 11 …Continue reading “The Coronavirus COVID-19 Epidemic Outbreak is Not Only about a New Virus”
- The New Coronavirus COVID-19 Mystery – Fact-Checking
The new Coronavirus 2019-nCoV epidemic outbreak is a mystery. Indeed, since it became a concern in China at the end of December 2019 and in the early days of January 2020 (WHO timeline), the various actors and authorities involved have been sending contradictory signals regarding the outbreak. This is perplexing, and all the more so …Continue reading “The New Coronavirus COVID-19 Mystery – Fact-Checking”
Featured image: This illustration, created at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reveals ultrastructural morphology exhibited by coronaviruses. Note the spikes that adorn the outer surface of the virus, which impart the look of a corona surrounding the virion, when viewed electron microscopically. A novel coronavirus, named Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China in 2019. The illness caused by this virus has been named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
