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] Despite the lessons of the Covid-19 pandemic and geopolitical shocks such as the war in Ukraine, many companies are not confident in the resilience of their supply chains - only 3% of respondents rate their supply chains as very resilient in this year's Allianz Risk Barometer. Allianz Commercial
• [New] Events from the COVID pandemic to recent extreme weather have highlighted the risks of tightly optimised global logistics, while nimbler, modular operations with shorter supply chains can be more adaptable. The Conversation
• [New] Barclays estimates incremental ad revenues $6 billion and $19 billion from the two platforms in 2026 and 2027, respectively, boosting Meta's top line as much as $25 billion. eMarketer
• [New] The scramble during the Covid-19 pandemic for face masks and other medical supplies made predominantly in China revealed the threat that Beijing can pose - as did the shady origin of the virus near a Chinese lab. Hudson Institute
• [New] Belgium and Romania too are introducing voluntary military service, while in the summer of 2026 France will bring in its own form of paid voluntary military training lasting ten months, aimed at 18 - to 19-year-olds. CIDOB
• [New] Asked about the most plausible black swan scenarios that could occur in the next five years, 19% of respondents said they fear a breakthrough in quantum computing that renders current encryption obsolete. Claims Journal
• [New] Trump's announcement comes as millions of Americans face higher healthcare costs in 2026 after Congress allowed generous COVID-19-era tax credits for federally subsidized Obamacare plans to expire. Reuters
• [New] Vaccines to fight respiratory syncytial virus, meningococcal disease, flu, and COVID are now recommended only for children at high risk of serious illness or after consultation between doctors and parents, as a part of the CDC's scaling back of key childhood vaccination recommendations. KFF Health News
• [New] Since the outbreak of COVID-19, new scientific analyses and insider accounts have revealed major vulnerabilities in how the United States oversees high-risk biological research. The Heritage Foundation
• [New] In recent years, the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has faced extreme events that challenged its health system: arbovirus epidemics, armed violence, heatwaves, and, most critically, COVID-19, which exposed overlapping vulnerabilities and demanded articulated responses. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Most people age 2 and older will be up to date after one dose of the 2025-2026 COVID-19 vaccine from any vaccine maker. Mayo Clinic
• [New] McKinsey estimates global demand for data center capacity to increase at an annual rate of 19 to 22% from 2023 to 2030. Electronics For You - Official Site ElectronicsForU.com
• [New] Drugmakers plan to raise US prices on at least 350 branded medications, including vaccines against COVID, RSV and shingles, as well as the blockbuster cancer treatment Ibrance, even as the Trump administration pressures them for cuts. CNN
• [New] The COVID-19 pandemic was a live stress-test: countries like South Korea and the U.S. that could rapidly mobilize innovation (tests, vaccines) through helix partnerships fared better, validating flexible, networked governance. GeoIntelligence
• [New] Teledentistry, which emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, is expected to be a critical component of dental care by 2026. Imagine Your Smile
• [New] Among employers who expect to expand headcount at the beginning of 2026, 37% pointed to organizational growth, 26% cited investment in new business areas and 19% said they are backfilling recent departures. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Despite political pressure and negotiated discounts, list prices for hundreds of widely used drugs will rise in 2026, affecting everything from cancer care to COVID prevention. Newsweek
• [New] Drugmakers plan to raise U.S. prices on at least 350 branded medications in 2026, including vaccines for COVID-19 and shingles, migraine treatments, and blockbuster cancer drugs. Newsweek
• Labour availability constraints, rapidly rising labour rates and the residual impacts of COVID-19 will compel most companies to invest in cyber-physical systems, especially intralogistics smart robots. Modern Materials Handling
• COVID-19 Antigen Tests: All OTC COVID-19 antigen tests will require prior authorization unless prescribed by a California Children's Services Paneled Provider for a pediatric patient under age 21. cmadocs
• Perhaps unlike any other event in recent history, the coronavirus pandemic has put a magnifying glass over the United States' supply chain vulnerabilities in the context of a globalized world. American Resources Policy Network
• In 2026, health professionals across settings will continue to encounter vaccine wariness and misinformation - not just around COVID-19, but across routine immunizations. Hospital News
• There are many different variants of COVID-19 - some reports say more than 20 - but experts believe that the Omicron variants will be circulating the most in 2026. Newsweek

Last updated: 18 January 2026