Defunding essential structures and not giving time to test new ones

Respiratory viruses are not a passing trend; they are here to stay.

In 1989, the UK government closed the MRC Common Cold Unit, a world-leading institution that, among other achievements, isolated the first coronavirus and identified the rhinovirus. The unit was part of an international network that advanced our knowledge of respiratory viruses' ecology, modes of transmission, and means of containment.

Why was the Common…