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] As countries strive toward the End TB targets - a 90% reduction in TB deaths and an 80% reduction in TB incidence by 2030, timely data-driven insights are critical for guiding effective responses, particularly in the post-COVID - 19 context. / Uganda PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] Survey respondents see occupancy returning to pre-COVID levels nationally by the end of 2026, with 41% believing it will take until 2027 or later. Lument
• [New] Certain California rehire and recall protections implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic have been extended through 2027, ensuring continued job protection for employees affected by prior workforce COVID-related reductions. Exit Planning Exchange
• [New] Rossiya Airlines plans to expand operations with Boeing 747 planes that were taken out of service during the covid-19 pandemic. / Russia AS USA
• [New] Without FCA intervention, unresolved COVID-19 business interruption disputes could trigger increased litigation as policyholders seek to preserve their position before claims become time-barred, adding pressure to court resources. Insurance Business
• [New] Australia's experience with wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated both the potential and limitations of existing mobilization capabilities. Second Line of Defense
• [New] Just as COVID-19 triggered the 2020-21 boom and the subsequent 2022 collapse, Chat GPT triggered the 2024-25 AI hyperscaper boom and the risk of an AI demand correction in 2026 cannot be ignored. Napier - B2B PR and Marketing Agency
• [New] Money from the one short federal infusion of operating funds during the COVID-19 pandemic has or soon will run out at essentially every U.S. transit agency. Railway Age
• [New] Recent reports that the United States has offered to lower tariffs on Indonesian goods - from a threatened 32% to 19% - only if Jakarta agrees to purchase US-made maritime surveillance drones and readjust its South China Sea policy mark a troubling escalation in economic diplomacy. Asia Times
• [New] Data centers will generate more than 40% of North American electricity consumption growth by 2050, with 20-29% of growth coming from industry, 10-19% from hydrogen production, another 10-19% from transportation electrification, and less than 10% from building electrification. Electrification Coalition
• [New] More than 8.3 million workers are expected to benefit from minimum wage hikes in 19 states, which will collectively add an estimated $5 billion in earnings nationwide. CNBC
• [New] All six - hepatitis A, hepatitis B, influenza, rotavirus, meningococcal disease and COVID-19 - will still be covered by federal programs such as Medicaid and the Vaccines for Children program, and by private insurers, at least through 2026. / USA The Conversation
• [New] Globally, GDP growth is projected at 2.7% in 2026, marginally lower than the estimated 2.8% for 2025 and below the pre-Covid - 19 average of 3.2%. Economic Times
• [New] Having stalled during the Covid-19 pandemic, sport-related travel is booming again and is forecast to provide 60% of the total industry's revenue growth between now and 2030. The Athletic
• [New] California and New York kept children home for over a year despite clear evidence: kids faced minimal COVID risk, schools were not major transmission vectors with basic precautions, and closures devastated learning and mental health. Capitalism Magazine
• [New] The relative stability of TB detection in Africa has been attributed to minimal disruption from COVID-19-related health system shocks, though the possibility of over-diagnosis in some settings cannot be ruled out. PubMed Central (PMC)
• [New] The modifiable nature of occupational risk factors presents a unique opportunity to meaningfully reduce the prevalence of long COVID. Pharmacy Times
• [New] Malaysia's Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 and Sarawak Energy Transition Policy provide predictable frameworks that attract patient capital willing to invest for long-term returns. The Economy
• [New] The Bintulu Industrial Cluster is advancing hydrogen production, carbon capture, and renewable energy projects, supported by the state-level Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 and Sarawak Energy Transition Policy. / Malaysia The Economy
• [New] As businesses increasingly augment knowledge workers with AI, global software spending could accelerate from 14% annually during the past decade to between 19% and 56% during the next five years. ZDNet
• [New] Tokenized assets tripled to $19 billion in 2025 and could reach $11 trillion by 2030 (about 1.38% of global financial assets), anchored by BlackRock's $1.7 B BUIDL fund (20% of tokenized Treasuries) and tokenized gold from Tether and Paxos. IndexBox Inc.

Last updated: 08 February 2026