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] Massive use of disinfectants against COVID-19 poses potential risks to urban wildlife Globally, massive disinfectants are used to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19. Beyond Pesticides
• [New] M&A executives are sending clear signals that M&A will be an important lever as businesses recover and thrive in the post COVID-19 economy. Women in Healthcare
• [New] Proposed reductions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), claw backs of COVID-era funding, and reorganization of health agencies threaten to hollow out core infectious disease surveillance, outbreak response, and health equity infrastructure. / USA BIO International Convention 2026
• [New] In an area that once had 16 schools, Soho Parish is the last remaining and its time may soon be up, a victim of the post-Covid downturn and falling pupil numbers that are forecast to close hundreds of primary schools across England. The Guardian
• [New] The nearly 19 million travelers expected represents another milestone for US aviation as passenger demand remains robust despite ongoing operational challenges facing airlines and airports. Simple Flying
• [New] The lifecycle carbon emissions reductions enabled by SAF adoption could generate an additional estimated societal value of $19 billion through avoided carbon costs, based on the Government of Canada's methodology. Airbus
• [New] Deforestation and species loss alone make pandemics such as COVID-19 more likely, and estimates indicate that even partial collapses in just three ecosystem services-wild pollination, marine fisheries and tropical timber - could result in a decline in global GDP of US$ 2 trillion annually by 2030. Nature
• [New] Recent energy shocks - including the post-COVID disruption, the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the war in the Middle East - have prompted governments to fundamentally rethink energy strategies. Hydrogen Council
• [New] Recent crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, have exposed structural vulnerabilities stemming from excessive reliance on highly concentrated supply chains. Lupicinio
• [New] Emergency instruments like the €750 billion NGEU recovery package as well as the MFF 2021-2027 budget have constituted a swift response from the EU regarding the COVID-19 recovery. European Papers
• [New] Passengers will no longer need to present a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival into the Dominican Republic. Frontier Airlines
• [New] The combination of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis has resulted in disruptions to global industrial and supply chains, sustained hikes of commodity prices, and weaker international monetary and financial systems. U.S.-CHINA ECONOMIC and SECURITY REVIEW COMMISSION
• [New] According to Imagine Your Smile's dental health statistics, teledentistry usage increased by 800% in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic - and it has continued to grow heading into 2026. Patientdesk AI, Inc.
• Both the World Health Organization and the CDC note that current COVID vaccines are still expected to provide meaningful protection against severe disease, even from newer variants. Medical Daily
• In the United States, passenger EV sales are projected to decline by 19% in 2026 following the withdrawal of federal support measures, including the rollback of fuel economy regulations and reductions to incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act. Green Building Africa
• EV sales are expected to fall 19% in 2026 due to federal support being rolled back, including fuel-economy rules and portions of the Inflation Reduction Act. Yahoo! Finance
• The US-China rivalry, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Covid pandemic, increased volatility in financial markets and continuing threat of climate change have diminished the trust in the rule based global trading system. The Financial Express
• Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, a commodity price surge and the Covid-19 pandemic have all posed a risk to food supply and security around the world. Agriculture and rural development
• Global capital investment in energy is expected to reach US$ 3.4 trillion in 2026, 5% higher than 2025 spending and a continuation of the long-term post-COVID increases in annual outlays for energy. Industrial Info Resources
• The US-China trade war, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and growing technological competition between major powers gradually exposed the vulnerabilities of deeply interconnected supply chains. Atlas Institute for International Affairs
• In the US, EV sales are projected to fall 19% in 2026 following the rollback of federal support, including fuel-economy targets and parts of the Inflation Reduction Act. Electric Cars Report
• The recent conflict follows a series of disruptions that have reshaped commodity markets, including the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and trade wars. World Bank Group

Last updated: 26 July 2026