Coronavirus, the least of the worries: The future will bring worse epidemics

The COVID-19 pandemic that is bothering much of the world's population may be "just the tip of the iceberg" of future health emergencies, according to Chinese virologist, Shi Zhengli, who is highly regarded for her research on coronavirus in bats. The expert has warned that in the future it is more than likely that new crises will occur that are as deadly or deadlier than the one in 2020. 

Shi calls for international cooperation to fight epidemics

Shi, deputy director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology and known as 'bat woman' due to her research, has called for international cooperation in fighting epidemics in the face of the discovery of at least a dozen new viruses as deadly or more than SARS-CoV-2, according to the "SDPnoticias". 

The expert and researcher praised in an interview on Chinese television 'CGTN' that transparency and cooperation of scientists and governments are vital in research on viruses. With respect to the attitude of the United States, she said it was "very regrettable" that science is being politicized since this can create difficulties in the face of early warnings. 

The Chinese virologist denies that the COVID-19 was created in a laboratory

US President, Donald Trump, has accused Wuhan of having created the virus responsible for the pandemic on several occasions, accusations that are strongly rejected by the Chinese government. 

Shi herself has responded to these provocations by the US president through her social networks, where she has stated that she would swear on her life that the laboratory where she is researching has no connection whatsoever with the origin of the epidemic.

[This is a translation of the original article "El coronavirus, la menor de las preocupaciones: El futuro traerá peores epidemias" published in espanadiario.net]