Increase funding for public health surveillance to detect and respond to emerging infectious diseases promptly.
Pandemics
Current reading
Moderate Risk
History
427 daily observations
Method
Curated sources and AI scoring
Pandemics Risk
3.8 / 5
Moderate Risk
+0.1 from previous reading
Current assessment
Today's pandemic risk is moderate due to ongoing COVID-19 concerns, emerging avian flu cases, and the spread of other infectious diseases like MERS and Cyclospora.
Latest run
August 9, 2026
Trend
Daily score history for Pandemics.
Risk Drivers
What is pushing the current reading.
The current pandemic risk is influenced by several factors: the persistence of COVID-19 and its long-term effects, as highlighted by studies on long COVID, and the potential for severe COVID cases to reactivate dormant viruses. Additionally, there are reports of new avian flu cases in China and the US, which could pose a risk of zoonotic transmission. The spread of MERS in the Middle East and Cyclospora outbreaks in the US further complicate the infectious disease landscape. These developments underscore the need for robust surveillance and response systems to manage multiple concurrent outbreaks effectively.
Risk Reduction Actions
Priority actions generated from the current analysis.
Enhance training and resources for healthcare workers to manage long COVID and other post-viral conditions effectively.
Launch targeted vaccination campaigns to improve coverage for flu, COVID-19, and other preventable diseases.
Combat misinformation by providing clear, evidence-based information on vaccines and infectious disease prevention.
Support community outreach programs to educate the public on the importance of vaccination and preventive health measures.
Sources Monitored
Visible feeds used in this category's nightly run.
Selected Articles
Supporting articles referenced in the latest score.
- Study details long COVID’s effect on patients’ wellbeing Publisher: CIDRAP COVID‑19 Published August 7, 2026
- Severe COVID may awaken dormant viruses, leading to autoimmune disease, long COVID Publisher: CIDRAP COVID‑19 Published August 6, 2026
- Long COVID may affect up to 5% of healthcare workers in hospitals, new data suggest Publisher: CIDRAP COVID‑19 Published July 29, 2026
- 4 new human H9N2 avian flu cases in China as Australia sees more H5N1 in wild birds Publisher: CIDRAP Avian Influenza Published August 4, 2026
- Cambodia confirms human H5N1 avian flu case as H5N1 hits more Utah egg farms Publisher: CIDRAP Avian Influenza Published July 16, 2026
- WHO reports H5N1 death among variant zoonotic flu cases seen this year Publisher: CIDRAP Avian Influenza Published April 29, 2026
- WHO notes 4 new MERS cases, 2 fatal, in Saudi Arabia since September Publisher: CIDRAP MERS‑CoV Published March 14, 2025
- WHO reports 3 more MERS cases from Saudi Arabia Publisher: CIDRAP MERS‑CoV Published August 30, 2023
- Rapid risk assessment – Assessing the risk to public health of multiple detections of poliovirus in wastewater in the EU/EEA Publisher: ECDC Emerging Threats Published January 30, 2025
- Outbreak of Vibrio Vulnificus, a Flesh-Eating Bacteria, Kills 5 in Louisiana Publisher: The New York Times Published August 8, 2026