Why understanding the origin of COVID-19 is essential for policymakers: Discussing future regulations to prevent pandemics

Although the COVID-19 pandemic began more than a year ago, the world still is no closer to a definitive answer to the question of how the pandemic started. The two currently considered competing hypotheses are either a natural transmission from an animal host to humans or a leak from a research laboratory in Wuhan, China. Understanding the origins of the pandemic is essential to developing policies that can reduce the likelihood of future pandemics. The two competing hypotheses have very different implications for policymaking and the types of regulations that should be implemented to avoid another pandemic.  

On Monday, June 7, Brookings Center on Regulation and Markets (CRM) hosted two experts to explore the specific policy steps governments can take to mitigate the risks of future pandemics. This event was part of CRM’s “Reimagining Modern-day Markets and Regulations” series, which focuses on analyzing rapidly changing modern-day markets and on how to regulate them most effectively. 

Viewers submitted questions for speakers by emailing [email protected] or via Twitter using #COVIDorigin.