Another pandemic is likely to be coming but were not sure exactly when.
Research does suggest that there is between a 47% to 57% probability of another deadly pandemic occurring within the next 25 years from now.
And modeling from 2023 also indicates that there is at least a 27.5% chance of another pandemic occurring by the year 2033.
The exact timing of another pandemic is unpredictable, although current and historical data provide a clear picture of the risks as well as potential threats.
Scientists also monitor several "priority pathogens" which have the greatest potential to jump from animals to humans also known as zoonotic spillover and spread globally.
The influenza and Coronaviruses are considered to be the most likely candidates for a future pandemic occurring because respiratory transmission of these viruses is hardest to prevent from occurring.
The Avian Flu or H5N1 virus has also continued to spread across animal species and infect humans, which lead to concerns that it's only a few mutations away from human to human transmission.
Disease X is a placeholder name that is being used by (WHO) or the World Health Organization to describe a currently unknown pathogen which could cause a future serious international epidemic or even pandemic.
And additional pathogens of concern for a possible pandemic include Chikungunya, Oropouche, Zika, Ebola and Marburg.
The frequency of these pandemics also appears to be increasing as a result of several global drivers which include climate change, global connectivity and environmental degradation.
Warming temperatures and habitat loss force wildlife into closer contact with humans and livestock, which facilitates the leap of viruses between species.
Rapid international travel also allows a localized outbreak to spread globally within hours.
And deforestation and urbanization disrupt natural ecosystems, increasing the chances of zoonotic spillover.
Experts also describe the global readiness for another pandemic as a mix of major technological gains as well as lingering systemic weakness.
And significant improvements have also been made in genomic sequencing, vaccine development platforms like mRNA and better access to medical supplies like oxygen.
And many experts also warn that COVID fatigue as well as political shifts have also led to a cycle of neglect in which the funding for the preparedness for the pandemics is being reduced just as the risks for the pandemics are rising.