Global Scans · Coronavirus · Weekly Summary

Future potential spread of the coronavirus is impacting world trade and threatens a global economic recession and inflection point. For the first time, Illness is now a major driving force. We first reported this virus way back in 2010 and regularly since July 2015 as a predictable surprise: a known unknown to most. It is not a Black Swan; it was foreseen! Forewarned is forearmed and forearmed is protection against unpleasant possibilities and this inflection point will most likely change everyone's future profoundly.

Here are some actions you could take offered by and our friends at WavePoint and BCG and McKinsey.

Companies are asking people to work from home (we have always worked from our homes since 2003). We think the latter will become a long-term and rapidly growing trend as people reduce traveling time, buy more online, and increasingly recognize the benefits to their health of staying home. More emerging, potential behavioral trends here. Begin regularly evaluating predictable surprises, be prepared and act in time, while others lose their shirt through inattention to the future.

• [New] The projected cloud feedback is 19-31% stronger, which enhances climate sensitivity, and global surface warming is estimated to be 3-7% greater than previously thought. EurekAlert!
• [New] There were concerns that telehealth access might be reduced in 2025 due to the expiration of temporary Medicare policies introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cornell Brooks Public Policy
• [New] HHS and AstraZeneca will collaborate on a coronavirus disease vaccine called AZD1222. AJMC
• [New] The American Academy of Pediatrics recommended earlier in 2025 that children ages 6 months to 23 months receive a COVID-19 vaccine due to their high risk of severe illness. ABC News
• [New] Some analyses warn of a COVID-like shock to the US economy if rare earth exports are severely restricted, potentially causing a 1% slowdown in GDP growth and double-digit wholesale inflation. The Chronicle-Journal
• [New] Sci Tech Daily Japanese researchers uncover the molecular signature of Long COVID brain fog, a breakthrough that could bring real treatments closer than ever. The Transmission
• [New] Flu and COVID-19 vaccines updated for the 2025-26 season are now available in all US states, territories, and freely associated states. Public Health Communications Collaborative
• [New] The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expects the 2025-26 fall and winter respiratory disease season to have a similar number of peak hospitalizations due to Covid-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus as there were last season. CNN
• [New] If U.S.-China trade tensions persist or escalate into a full-blown trade war, global GDP could erode significantly, and industries reliant on critical rare earth minerals could face a COVID-like shock. The Chronicle-Journal
• [New] The COVID-19 pandemic further underscored the challenges of balancing professional obligations with family needs, prompting discussions around policy reforms and corporate practices that could better accommodate the evolving landscape of American family life. EBSCO
• [New] The rate of vaccination in the U.S. has not been great for two years, and it's likely to get even worse in 2025, leaving more Americans at risk of COVID infections and Long COVID. Medium
• [New] The CDC no longer broadly recommends the Covid-19 vaccine, but US residents will still be able to get one if they want. Wired
• [New] Subscribers will need to be ready to give guidance about 2025's COVID-19 vaccines, especially as confusion and misinformation abounds. TRC Healthcare
• [New] Extending the Biden COVID-19 credits would increase the insurance rolls by about 3.8 million people in 2035. Reason.com
• [New] Last season's 2024-2025 mRNA COVID vaccines reduced people's risk of emergency department visits by 29%, their risk of hospitalizations by 39% and their risk of death by 64%. Scientific American
• [New] The impending deficits are driven by the fact that COVID-19 pandemic-era aid programs will be fully depleted by 2027. Shaw Local
• [New] After temporary legislation was passed at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, all Medicare patients could get telehealth services if offered by their physicians. American Medical Association
• [New] Under the FDA's new rules, adults under 65 qualify for a Covid vaccine if they have at least one underlying condition that puts them at high risk for severe outcomes from Covid-19. The Guardian
• You do not need a prescription to get a 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine in many states, including New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
• The vaccine panel's recommendations for people under 65 found the most benefit for someone at increased risk for severe Covid due to underlying conditions. NBC News
• COVID vaccines will continue to be covered by Medicare and Medi-Cal for the time being. University of California San Francisco

Last updated: 26 October 2025