Ambassador He Yafei was China's Vice Foreign Minister and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, where he worked closely with agencies including the World Health Organization. I wanted to draw out that insight as one of the country's foremost diplomats, but also as an ordinary person who alongside millions of others in China, is staying mostly at home during this outbreak. He says the world has become complacent to the emergence of new viruses, relying on advancement in science and medicine, and wrongly believing that there will be a cure for every illness. I called Ambassador He in his hometown of Zhejiang to discuss the impact that the new virus will have - on preparing for the next health emergency, to supply chains and the world economy, and the likely shape of global governance in this new decade.

World Health Organization Chief Scientist, Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, hosted a meeting of the world's top scientists and research funders in Geneva last week to focus urgent attention on the global COVID-19 response. Our host James Chau interviews Dr. Swaminathan about the outcomes of the meeting, the science and medical community's priorities, the likelihood of a vaccine, and modified treatments that can be used to save lives now. She speaks to us from Geneva.

Epidemiologists on a joint WHO-China mission are trying to complete their understanding of the new respiratory virus that has gripped Wuhan, its surrounding areas, and beyond. That in turn will allow public health experts to better predict the likely length of the outbreak, says China Current host James Chau. He draws on his experience covering the SARS epidemic 18 years ago, and explores if there are relevant parallels between that the coronavirus outbreak unfolding today. This is an example, he says, of a fast-moving disease that is ahead of even our scientific advances. (Photo by Xinhua News agency)