Since the Omicron variant first emerged in November 2021, we’ve had to question much of what we thought we knew about COVID-19. In the year since, infections and reinfections have risen sharply—with over 65 percent of Canadians contracting the virus at least once as of July 2022, according to one estimate—and scientists have raced to develop an adapted vaccine. While many of us have been left wondering whether this scourge will ever end, others are asking how we can make sure a contagion of such magnitude doesn’t happen again. We spoke with Catherine Hankins, co-chair of Canada’s COVID-19 Immunity Task Force, about what this pandemic can teach us about the next one.
It’s been said that SARS-CoV-2 is just the beginning of the new war on viruses. What do you think the future has in store?
