World Must Leverage Genomics to Fight Pandemics, Illumina CEO Says
May 3, 2022 10:00 AM ET
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Originally published on Bloomberg
Two years into the pandemic that has killed millions and shaken the global economy, the world still lacks a unified effort to detect and fight future outbreaks using genetic tools, said Illumina Inc. Chief Executive Officer Francis deSouza.
“We’re nowhere near where we need to be ultimately in terms of leveraging genomics to fight pandemics,” deSouza said Tuesday in an interview. “What we need is a global system that is looking for the emergence of either new coronaviruses or antimicrobial resistance or even a bioterrorist attack.”