Another pandemic is 'inevitable' and 'could wipe out humanity,' warns Trinity professor

Professor Cliona Ni Cheallaigh, associate professor of infectious diseases at St James’s Hospital in Dublin and Trinity College, said: “I’m not interested in what we did well,” she says. “I’m interested in what we do next.” File photo: Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

The chances of a new global pandemic wiping out humanity are “entirely possible”, according to a leading Irish consultant in infectious diseases. Ireland is generally perceived to have "done well" during Covid. 

But according to Professor Cliona Ni Cheallaigh, associate professor of infectious diseases at St James’s Hospital in Dublin and Trinity College, what Ireland and the world "did well" during the pandemic is irrelevant.

“I’m not interested in what we did well,” she says. “I’m interested in what we do next.” 

Prof. Ni Cheallaigh is one of the speakers (and a co-organiser) of a public engagement event at Trinity on Saturday morning, entitled ‘What will the next pandemic look like for Ireland and are we prepared?’. 

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Other speakers include people who became household names during the pandemic like Professor Luke O’Neill and clean air architectural specialist Professor Orla Hegarty.

Prof. Ni Cheallaigh explains that while it’s hard to tell if a new pandemic would be more severe, a new one is inevitable. “The key contributor is the environment – as we’ve pushed wild animals out of their niches, you get the increased possibility of these zoonotic diseases,” she says.

While she may be most concerned with what comes next, her outlook is a deeply pessimistic one, however. For starters, there is every chance that the next pandemic could indeed be a zero-sum game for humanity, one in which the species does not survive.

“That’s entirely possible,” she says. 

We were very lucky that Covid mortality was not as high as others, like Ebola. Absolutely it could be the end. 

"We already have our heads in the sand about climate change and geopolitical stability. Humans are playing a very risky game.” 

“Do you know what I’ve learned from Covid? That humans are incapable of making decisions to prevent these things from happening. The virus has made me very pessimistic about the future of the human species. And I’m an optimist,” she says.

Of Ireland’s reaction to Covid, Prof. Ni Cheallaigh says: “I think we should hang our heads.” She is speaking most specifically about the fact Ireland did not agree to waiving intellectual property rights for vaccines despite the massive disparity between jab programmes in the western and developing worlds.

“Ireland didn’t stand up to be counted, and that’s because of the power pharma has over Government,” she says. “It’s not like we were going to lose anything by it. 

Instead, we told those less fortunate than us that ‘we don’t care if you die, our profits are more important’.

“Imagine if you were living in Africa and Europe sank beneath the waves, would you want to help us after what we did with vaccines?” she asks.

“We weren’t willing to take a personal hit, and I think that’s really sad. And it’s not unique to Ireland, you’re talking about all western countries except New Zealand and maybe Australia.” 

“So how are we supposed to tackle something like climate change, when we couldn’t even do the right thing when there were no sacrifices to be made? Look at our housing crisis – we know what to do, but because we’re beholden to huge financial interests, we keep not doing it,” she says.

“My only hope is the next generation, in their 20s, that they seem to get it, and will be less accepting of people saying no.” 

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