Hong Kong microbiologist Yuen Kwok-yung, renowned for his work on the SARS virus, has issued a dire warning: another pandemic is inevitable and could be more devastating than COVID-19. Yuen, often compared to US health expert Anthony Fauci, stressed in an AFP report the urgency of preparing for this threat.
“Both the public and (world) leaders must admit that another pandemic will come, and probably sooner than you anticipate,” Yuen stated during an interview at Queen Mary Hospital, where he works and teaches. He attributes his alarming prediction to rapid geopolitical, economic, and climatic changes.
In his autobiography, My Life in Medicine: A Hong Kong Journey, Yuen calls on politicians to address global existential threats instead of focusing solely on national or regional interests. “This is something so important that we should not ignore,” he emphasized.
Yuen’s insights are informed by his extensive experience with infectious diseases. Born in Hong Kong in the late 1950s, he overcame humble beginnings to become a globally recognized authority on coronaviruses. He gained prominence in 2003 after successfully isolating the SARS virus, a critical step in managing the outbreak that claimed nearly 300 lives in Hong Kong.
His experience with SARS shaped his response to COVID-19, which severely impacted Hong Kong due to insufficient vaccination, especially among the elderly. Despite initial effective measures, Hong Kong eventually recorded around three million infections and over 13,800 deaths.
Yuen faced significant challenges during the pandemic, including political pressures and threats to his medical license. His description of the Wuhan seafood market as a “crime scene” sparked controversy. Nonetheless, he remains committed to transparency in understanding the origins of COVID-19.
“It’s important to properly do an investigation in a very open, transparent manner,” Yuen asserted. Last year, he founded the Pandemic Research Alliance with colleagues in China and the US to collaborate on future threats. “If we do not talk about it… then another pandemic comes, we have to pay a huge price again,” he warned.