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] Sales of new cars in 2026 are expected to be down by a million units from the pre-Covid norm as more and more consumers hold onto older vehicles in the face of high costs and less disposable income. LOGISTICS MANAGERS' INDEX
• [New] Due to COVID-19, light vehicle production declined about 20% in 2020 and auto parts were expected to decline 24% for the year. International Trade Administration
• [New] The ongoing Iran war is projected to slow global economic growth to its weakest pace since the Covid-19 pandemic and renewed hostilities could cause it to slump further. CNN
• [New] During periods of global disruption, such as the COVID 19 pandemic, and the more recent supply chain shocks, and geopolitical tensions, countries with stronger trade facilitation frameworks have better performed to maintain trade flows and respond to operational challenges. UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD)
• [New] The US FDA this week recommended that people use serial testing-taking multiple COVID-19 tests over several days - to reduce the risk of a false-negative result and to help prevent people from unknowingly spreading the SARS-CoV-2 virus to others. The Council of Industry
• [New] Interest-rate cuts will probably do little to revive growth in China's flagging economy, where would-be borrowers are on edge over the threat of new disruptions to daily life from any new Covid-19 outbreaks and gloomy about their prospects against a worsening backdrop for growth and jobs. The Council of Industry
• [New] In one instance, Beijing reportedly persuaded Ukraine to refrain from signing a Canadian-led UN statement on Xinjiang by threatening to withhold COVID vaccines. China Leadership
• [New] A pregnant woman in Maryland seeing an OB-GYN affiliated with a major academic medical center will likely receive flu and COVID-19 vaccine recommendations this fall. CIDRAP
• [New] The Biden administration is planning for an end to its practice of paying for Covid-19 shots and treatments, shifting more control of pricing and coverage to the healthcare industry in ways that could generate sales for companies - and costs for consumers - for years to come. The Council of Industry
• [New] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last Thursday endorsed updated COIVD-19 boosters, opening the way for a fall vaccination campaign that could blunt a winter surge if enough Americans roll up their sleeves. The Council of Industry
• [New] The global cruise industry contributed $98.5 billion to global GDP in 2024, supporting 1.8 million jobs and generating $199 billion in economic output, with projections suggesting a 19% increase in cruise passenger capacity by 2028. Hotel News Resource
• [New] HBOT may be most appropriate for long COVID patients with vascular dysfunction or neuroinflammation, but more studies are needed to figure out which [type of patient] will have the most benefit at what dosage. Scientific American
• [New] Long COVID could arise from a wide range of underlying mechanisms, from viral persistence to immune dysregulation to vascular damage, and different people may need vastly different treatments. Scientific American
• [New] The docking of a cruise ship hit by a Hantavirus outbreak does not pose the risk of triggering a Covid-like pandemic. Al Jazeera
• U.S. health regulators cleared use of retooled Covid-19 vaccines that target the latest versions of Omicron, in preparation for a fall booster campaign that could start within days. The Council of Industry
• Ascertaining the prevalence and risk factors of obesity in children aged 3-12 years in Dubai during the COVID-19 pandemic will aid in planning early interventions, thus mitigating the health impacts of obesity. LWW
• Most recently, government activity, though not employment, has grown in response to 9/11, COVID, the Afghanistan War, and a perceived nuclear threat from Iran. Mercatus Center
• Hate crimes targeting Asian communities in Canada surged by nearly 300% during the COVID-19 pandemic, exposing deep-rooted biases and vulnerabilities. Canadian Race Relations Foundation

Last updated: 21 June 2026