COVID‑19 and Its Environmental Links
Monday, November 30, 2020
The pandemic underscored the dependence of healthy social life on a healthy environmental system and has had profound effects worldwide. Approximately 60% of infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic. Examples include HIV‑1/HIV‑2, avian and swine influenza viruses. Research shows that intensive livestock systems can give rise to new viruses. Lockdowns also provided insights into how animal and plant species reacted to reduced human activity, with wildlife behavior changes reported across Europe and renewed emphasis on urban nature for well‑being and social distancing. We hope the lessons learned translate into lasting action.
Selected sources: EEA (2019); Rohr et al. (2019); Tsatsakis et al. (2020); UNEP (2020); Woolhouse et al. (2001).