World-first warning system launched in UK in bid to stop future pandemics

A world-first genetic warning system to stop future pandemics has been launched in the UK.

The surveillance programme, run by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), will see experts rapidly checking NHS samples for pathogens that could lead to serious outbreaks.

It is thought it could also stop emerging diseases.

Experts believe if such a system had been around pre-Covid-19, the virus would have been spotted much more quickly and there would have been early signs it was taking root in the UK.

Traditionally, genomic methods rely on scientists or medics knowing what virus or bacteria they are looking for when they test a swab sample.

But a more detailed method – known as metagenomics – means they do not need to know what the pathogen is, and they can test samples to find new ones.

All this information is also now being fed to the UKHSA at a national level, bringing together samples from NHS hospitals across England to spot trends and emerging clusters of disease.

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Source: The Independent, 30 January 2025