The expert who predicted Covid-19 already knows what the next pandemic will be

A plausible scenario, but not inevitable

Fortunately, not all scientists are crying doom. The  U.S. Centers  for Disease Control and Prevention still consider the risk of human transmission to be low at this time. But experts point out that all it would take is one mutation to change the situation.

As Quammen points out:  “It’s not a certainty, but a very, very distinct possibility.”  In other words, it’s not a reason to panic, but  it fully justifies heightened vigilance.