Prevention is the Best Cure: Insights from Zoonotic Research and COVID-19 Response
The TRADE Hub project period coincided with the COVID-19 global pandemic. This affected the project work, but also provided an opportunity to highlight the links between trade, especially of wildlife and wild meat, and pandemics in humans. The project's efforts have shed light on animal groups carrying zoonotic diseases, enhancing awareness of zoonotic disease transmission and associated risks, particularly amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
Our outreach initiatives provided a better understanding of disease transfer dynamics and informed policymakers on effective health interventions that can be used to prevent zoonotic disease transfer to humans. Roe et al. (2020) explored the complexities inherent in policy responses to COVID-19, and how simple bans on wildlife trade are likely to be counterproductive for people and wildlife. They highlighted that the major drivers of emerging infectious disease include land conversion and intensive livestock-rearing, and that these need to be tackled alongside the wildlife trade. These insights have been instrumental in strengthening systems to prevent disease spill-over from animals to humans.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, our investigations delved into its impacts on trade flows and uncovered significant disruptions across various sectors. The pandemic triggered reductions in domestic services output, increased international trade costs and caused declines in travel services and activities that required people to be in close proximity to one another. Concerns also arose over export restrictions imposed by countries on medical products, prompting our studies to quantify associations between COVID-19 cases and trade variables, as well as household welfare. Specific policy recommendations emerged from these findings that addressed challenges in trade dynamics amidst the pandemic.
Furthermore, we adapted our monitoring systems to the new reality imposed by COVID-19 by exploring ways to improve them within this context. Using the TRADE Hub as a case study, we provided examples of adjustments for transitioning into the post-COVID-19 era, ensuring continued effectiveness in disease prevention efforts and trade management.
Through our multidisciplinary approach and collaborative efforts, advanced disease prevention strategies, mitigated the risks of zoonotic disease transmission and navigated the complexities of global trade dynamics in the face of a pandemic.