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Mike's avatar

Of note is that the World Health Organization runs the global influenza surveillance network, even putting out the designs for the tests.

On March 3, 2020, Tedros said, "For decades, many countries have invested in building up their systems to detect and respond to influenza.

Because COVID-19 is also a respiratory pathogen, those systems can, should and are being adapted for COVID-19."

https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---3-march-2020

(For example, this was the influenza surveillance protocol they put out January 29, 2020:

https://www.who.int/influenza/gisrs_laboratory/Protocols_influenza_virus_detection_Jan_2020.pdf

I'm not sure whether or not this is what did it; influenza disappeared from the face of the earth a few months later, so there could well have been some intermediate guidance. I don't know.)

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Piki V's avatar

I am a grandmother. So, so happy to read this!!!

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