Prof Wendy Barclay - The next influenza pandemic
Channel: Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow
Date: 11/01/2020

Wendy Barclay, influenza, pandemic, Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow


Influenza is a problem every winter. The vaccines we do have to protect ourselves work with varying effectiveness, and the antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu have a hazy reputation. But an even bigger worry is the threat of another influenza pandemic. Just over 100 years ago, an influenza pandemic killed more than 50 million people. Bird flu infections in Asia have resulted in hundreds of deaths in the last decade but thankfully the bird flu virus has not yet evolved to spread through the air so the pandemic has not ensued- yet. Such evolution is, in the end, inevitable but can we get better at predicting how and when it will happen, and are we prepared for The next Flu Pandemic?
Wendy Barclay leads a small group of researchers at Imperial College London trying to understand the origins of influenza pandemics and identify new ways to combat them. She also advises on UK’s response to seasonal and emerging respiratory viruses.