British scientist: New global pandemic is only a matter of time

The former chief scientific adviser of the British government Patrick Wellens has said that another pandemic is absolutely inevitable and has called on the new British government to focus on preparing for it, warning that it is not yet ready, reports The Guardian.

Speaking on a panel in Hay, in the Welsh county of Powys, Wellens said it was good that there would be an election in the UK because there were obvious problems that needed to be addressed.

"One of the things the next government needs to do is implement better surveillance to be able to detect emerging pandemics," he said.

He has identified several key areas for improvement: "We need better surveillance so we can catch the disease early, we need to be much faster, much more coordinated. And there are ways to do that – getting fast diagnostic tests, fast vaccines, fast treatment – so that you don't have to resort to the extreme measures that were applied last time" he added.