On Thursday, October 19, 2023, the WBB Research Institute and the Foreign Policy Association will sponsor an important forum at the United Nations titled “A Tale of Two Pandemics: 1889 & 2019, Insights for Pandemic Preparedness.” The forum will examine how responses to prior influenza pathogens predicated global responses to Covid.

For Immediate Release October 13, 2023 Cranford, NJ– On Thursday, October 19th, WBB Research Institute and the Foreign Policy Association will sponsor an important forum at the United Nations, examining how responses to prior influenza pathogens predicated global responses to COVID. The event will feature experts, representing multiple disciplines and perspectives from around the world to consider what problems may lie ahead given our actions. The forum:  “A Tale of Two Pandemics: Lessons from the 1889 & 2019 Pandemics” will be moderated by Dr. Richard Marfuggi, a Medical Ethicist, Medical Historian, and Medical Director of the WBB Research Institute.  Distinguished participants include Corinne LeGoff, research scientist who will discuss the development of the Covid-19 mRNA vaccine and development of a DNA-based vaccine platform; Dr. Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, Columbia University Graduate School of Business who will discuss the Realities of Commercial Real Estate – global economic and social repercussions; Dr. Alain Gagnon, Professor at the University of Montreal, discussing 1889 effects on 1918 and implications for 2019 and beyond; Dr. Gregory Wawro, Professor of Political Science, Columbia University School of Professional Studies to discuss political implications of the 1889 and 2019 pandemics and Dr. Steve Brozak, Founder & CEO of the WBB Research Institute to discuss economic consequences of the two pandemics. Due to security measures at the UN, attendees must pre-register for the event at –> https://www.eventbrite.com/e/a-tale-of-two-pandemics-lessons-from-the-1889-2019-pandemics-tickets-735921981457   About WBB Research Institute. The WBB Research Institute is a newly formed, independent, non-ideological, public policy research center fostering and applying specialized knowledge to a diverse range of health issues. The institute’s mission is to inform leaders in commerce, industry, government, and public policy about key issues emerging at the intersection of healthcare and industry.  The Institute presents and publishes seminars, discussions, articles, and studies to better enable leaders from government, media, and other involved interests to both inform the public and improve the quality of our lives. www.WBBRI.com About The Foreign Policy Association (FPA). The Foreign Policy Association is a non-profit organization, founded in 1918. The mission of the Foreign Policy Association today, as it has been throughout its 105-year history is to catalyze developing awareness, understanding, and informed opinion on U.S. foreign policy and global issues. Through its balanced, nonpartisan publications and programs, FPA encourages citizens to participate in the foreign policy process. www.fpa.org About The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) The United Nations Institute for Training and Research is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations system. UNITAR provides training and capacity development activities to assist mainly developing countries with special attention to Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and other groups and communities who are most vulnerable. www.unitar.org

On Friday, October 6, Steve Brozak, Managing Partner and President of WBB Securities will moderate a panel discussion titled: “Infectious Disease: From Neglect to Respect Made Possible by New Technologies” at the BioFuture forum in New York City. 

The musical Lifeline not only entertains but educates on one of the greatest health challenges of our time—antimicrobial resistance. This Forbes article explores how the arts and AI-powered diagnostics are raising awareness and driving change. A must-read for anyone interested in the future of medicine.

It is crucial that we do not continue with a passive, wait-and-see approach, as it is bound to fail. Instead, we must proactively advance a public-private partnership to act now, leveraging public resources, private technology, and brainpower. This article identifies key weaknesses in our current approach to pandemic preparedness and presents specific actions that policy makers in the United States and around the globe can take to address those weaknesses.

Covid-19 has now contributed to two second-term presidential campaigns. In November 2020, when the virus was raging throughout the world, and fears were at their peak, the country sought a return to normalcy – And a plan to reduce health and economic turmoil was a key factor. Voters selected the Biden presidency to do that and with no small irony, President Biden’s run for a second term was given a blow by his own Covid-19 infection — a cautionary reminder of the pathogen’s staying power over two presidencies. This is a symptom of the challenge both providers and consumers in the U.S. healthcare system face. Immediate concerns are generated by the growing surge of Covid-19. Test positivity was 11% as of July 6, per the CDC, up from 9.1% the previous week. For context, this past winter’s peak was 12%. A CDC map shows that test positivity is highest in California and the Southwest. Covid-19 related emergency room visits were up 23% in the past week and hospitalizations are rising steadily, per the CDC. Long-term concerns are still evidenced by Covid-19 post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) also known as COVID-19. And this is even among vaccinated persons who have had viral infections during the Omicron era. One study of more than 400,000 infected U.S. Veterans, published on July 17 in the New England Journal of Medicine continued to raise these concerns about Long COVID. To read the entire article on Forbes, please click here…