Will the next pandemic be caused by coronavirus again? An interview with George Fu Gao

<i>For Chinese people, 2024 has been a good year. The shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic has dissipated; social activities and domestic travels have largely returned to normal; and they enjoyed the unity and enthusiasm of the Paris Olympic Games together with the whole world. However, there is a lingering thought in everyone's mind that there may be 'a next pandemic' coming sometime in the future. 'Be prepared for danger in times of peace' is a wisdom that never goes out of style. National Science Review (NSR) conducted an interview in September 2024 with Prof. George Fu Gao, the former Director General of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a top scientist in pathogenic microbiology and immunology. In this interview, Gao talked about the possibilities of 'the next pandemic' from a scientific perspective, and calls on the world to maintain openness, sharing and collaboration in research and action related to global health</i>.