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] COVID-19, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has become a global threat, infecting 770 million people and causing over 7 million deaths [134,135]. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] In addition to vaccines, WHO recommends masking and improved ventilation in high-risk environments - to prevent all Covid-19 infections and related risks, such as long Covid. The Guardian
• [New] Analysts expect AMD's free cash flow to grow from $5.5 billion in 2025 to $19 billion by 2028, as higher margins from selling complex AI chip systems contribute more to its total revenue. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and Lufthansa are projecting combined additional fuel expenses exceeding $4 billion this year, with the sharpest impact hitting Q2 2026 - analysts forecast 18-19% quarterly fuel cost jumps for US carriers. Air Traveler Club
• [New] Community services are critical to Australia's response to crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the 2019/20 catastrophic bushfires and now major disruptions to fuel and supply chains. Mirage News
• [New] Realtor.com forecasts that even as rates remain higher than pre-2020 levels, limited inventory should keep national prices from falling broadly in 2026; instead, they expect modest price growth with inventory still 12% below pre-COVID norms. MontCo Living
• [New] Airlines that failed to adapt to the post-COVID demand profile and cost environment will continue to face increasing pressure to transform or exit over the coming years. FTI Consulting
• [New] Over 2027, COVID-19 vaccinations prevented an estimated 14.4 million deaths, meaning that additional delay could have driven costs far higher. FP Analytics
• [New] Iowa's HB 2368 would expand on its prohibition of employer-required COVID-19 vaccinations by prohibiting discrimination based on medical interventions. JD Supra
• [New] Older adults face a much higher risk of severe illness from flu or COVID, and new research from UC San Francisco points to a key reason. SciTechDaily
• [New] U.S. imports from Persian Gulf nations - Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the UAE, Bahrain, and Qatar - currently average about 500,000 barrels per day, near-historic lows in modern times rivaled only by disruptions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Forbes
• [New] Even the city of Moscow, the center of Russia's wealthiest region, admitted that in 2026 it will need to cut its investment programme for the first time since the Covid pandemic. The Guardian
• [New] If the actual figure comes in lighter, it could pressure prices downward, reinforcing bearish fundamentals with LNG exports steady at 19+ Bcf/d and U.S. output climbing back toward 108-110 Bcf/d. Market Insights
• [New] The closure of the airspace above the Middle East has caused widespread disruptions in aviation and tourism globally, only surpassed in recent memory by the COVID pandemic. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
• [New] Despite Biden's declarations, Washington shifted its focus to China; the war in Ukraine and the overwhelming threats posed by Russia; the COVID-19 pandemic; the disorganized withdrawal from Afghanistan, and a cautious approach towards Iran's expansion. Manara Magazine
• Six states-California, Illinois, New York, Hawaii, and Oregon, and Washington-facilitated the creation of digital vaccination status applications or passed laws or enacted orders exempting fully vaccinated individuals from some COVID-19 restrictions if they could provide proof of vaccination. ballotpedia
• Abbott Laboratories, whose quick diagnostics for COVID-19 are being utilized by the White House, said it will send around 4 million neutralizer tests in April and will have the option to deliver about 20 million every month by June. Market Data Forecast
• The UAE has historically managed to turn crises into catalysts for growth and expect it to do so again, noting how swiftly it reopened during Covid-19 and absorbed capital flows following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Hindustan Times
• Alabama had 67% more total predicted COVID-19 deaths than officially reported. EurekAlert!
• The war in the Middle East could cause the worst disruption to lifesaving humanitarian work since COVID. UN News
• The COVID-19 pandemic significantly boosted adoption, with UNESCO reporting disruptions to 1.6 billion learners worldwide. Persistence Market Research
• After the COVID-19 pandemic, massive stimulus spending and supply-chain disruptions pushed U.S. inflation to about 7%, the highest level in decades. Economic Times

Last updated: 12 April 2026