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 2022 spike in the wake of COVID-19 disruptions and Russia's invasion of Ukraine proved temporary rather than cyclical. Food Security Portal
• [New] LD 2071 expands pharmacists' authority to prescribe and administer vaccines to adults without a prescription, and extends that authority to children for flu and COVID vaccines. CIDRAP
• [New] Rewrites CDC Panel's Charter could hinder public health advancements, potentially blocking releases of studies showing COVID vaccine benefits. Coaio Limited
• [New] Analysts expect the S&P 500 will see 19% earnings growth for full-year 2026, up from a consensus forecast in January of around 15.5%. Morningstar, Inc.
• [New] Current COVID vaccines are expected to continue providing protection against severe disease. TODAY
• [New] The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated digital adoption, particularly in South Asia, highlighting both opportunities and challenges in using digital platforms for sustainable development. Nature
• [New] During times of elevated COVID-19 incidence, clinicians in California had missed opportunities to diagnose TB disease in persons who sought care for respiratory symptoms by testing only for COVID-19. Emerging Infectious Diseases journal
• [New] Most expert assessments place the arrival of the first cryptographically relevant quantum computers capable of breaking ECC-256 in the late 2020s to mid 2030s [19], though significant uncertainty remains. Coinmonks
• [New] NAHB expects robust long-term remodeling growth, and projects overall remodeling expenditures will be 19% higher in 2030 and 32% higher by 2035. GrowthSpotter
• [New] COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has become a global threat, infecting 770 million people and causing over 7 million deaths [134,135]. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] In addition to vaccines, WHO recommends masking and improved ventilation in high-risk environments - to prevent all Covid-19 infections and related risks, such as long Covid. The Guardian
• [New] Analysts expect AMD's free cash flow to grow from $5.5 billion in 2025 to $19 billion by 2028, as higher margins from selling complex AI chip systems contribute more to its total revenue. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Lufthansa are projecting combined additional fuel expenses exceeding $4 billion this year, with the sharpest impact hitting Q2 2026 - analysts forecast 18-19% quarterly fuel cost jumps for US carriers. Air Traveler Club
• [New] Community services are critical to Australia's response to crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2019/20 catastrophic bushfires and now major disruptions to fuel and supply chains. Mirage News
• [New] Realtor.com forecasts that even as rates remain higher than pre-2020 levels, limited inventory should keep national prices from falling broadly in 2026; instead, they expect modest price growth with inventory still 12% below pre-COVID norms. MontCo Living
• [New] Airlines that failed to adapt to the post-COVID demand profile and cost environment will continue to face increasing pressure to transform or exit over the coming years. FTI Consulting
• [New] Over 2027, COVID-19 vaccinations prevented an estimated 14.4 million deaths, meaning that additional delay could have driven costs far higher. FP Analytics
• Iowa's HB 2368 would expand on its prohibition of employer-required COVID-19 vaccinations by prohibiting discrimination based on medical interventions. JD Supra
• Older adults face a much higher risk of severe illness from flu or COVID, and new research from UC San Francisco points to a key reason. SciTechDaily
• U.S. imports from Persian Gulf nations - Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar - currently average about 500,000 barrels per day, near-historic lows in modern times rivaled only by disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Forbes
• Even the city of Moscow, the center of Russia's wealthiest region, admitted that in 2026 it will need to cut its investment programme for the first time since the Covid pandemic. The Guardian

Last updated: 19 April 2026