COVID-19 | Council on Foreign Relations

The COVID-19 Pandemic and China’s Global Health Leadership

Beijing’s pandemic management is under the microscope as it hosts the Winter Olympics. CFR’s Yanzhong Huang explains how China’s response offers opportunities for U.S. global health leadership.

Council Special Report by Yanzhong Huang Feb 3, 2022

Reporting on Omicron and COVID-19 Testing

CFR’s Jennifer Nuzzo and Shalina Chatlani of the Gulf States Newsroom discuss the omicron variant, testing, and reporting on the new virus strain.

Event with Shalina Chatlani and Jennifer Nuzzo Jan 25, 2022

Will the World Ever Solve the Mystery of COVID-19’s Origin?

It is crucial to learn the facts about how COVID-19 emerged to prevent future outbreaks. But China is rebuffing calls for further investigations focusing on Wuhan.

Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista Nov 3, 2021

Billions Committed, Millions Delivered

CFR’s Think Global Health site assesses the mixed record of vaccine diplomacy.

by Samantha Kiernan, Serena Tohme, and Gayeong Song Oct 28, 2021

Global Health Program

Hybrid DC Roundtable: The CDC Response to the Spread of H5N1 Avian Flu in Dairy Cows

An outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza that was detected for the first time in a milking herd of cattle in Texas one month ago has now infected thirty-three herds in eight states and at least one farm worker, spurring alarm among some experts that human-to-human transmission could be next. Please join us for a discussion with Dr. Nirav D. Shah, Principal Deputy Director of the U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on the U.S. response to this avian flu outbreak and on how the CDC and its U.S. government counterparts are applying lessons from COVID-19 to respond to the potential threat.

Virtual Event by Nirav Shah, Nirav Shah, Thomas J. Bollyky and Thomas J. Bollyky May 1, 2024
China

China: Year in Review 2023

A review of the most significant events in China in 2023, and a look ahead to the most pressing challenges and uncertainties the country will face in 2024.

Blog Post by Yanzhong Huang December 20, 2023 Asia Unbound
Budget, Debt, and Deficits

The U.S. National Debt Dilemma

After years of steadily increasing debt, federal spending has skyrocketed, taking U.S. debt to levels not seen since World War II.

Backgrounder by James McBride , Noah Berman and Anshu Siripurapu December 4, 2023 Renewing America

China

Review of Beijing Rules: How China Weaponized Its Economy to Confront the World

According to a new book by Axios reporter Bethany Allen, China has developed an authoritarian economic statecraft to reshape the global order.

Blog Post by Abigail McGowan November 14, 2023 Asia Unbound
Monetary Policy

What Is the U.S. Federal Reserve?

Over the past decade, the Fed kept interest rates low while it deployed trillions of dollars in stimulus and expanded its regulatory oversight. Now, the central bank is back in the spotlight for its battle against inflation.

Backgrounder by James McBride , Anshu Siripurapu and Noah Berman October 20, 2023 Renewing America
World Health Organization (WHO)

Negotiating Global Health Security

Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic could revolutionize global health security, but the window for change is closing—quickly. In the latest Council Special Report, Yanzhong Huang and Rebecca Katz outline the urgent reforms that could lead to a safer, healthier world.

Council Special Report by Yanzhong Huang and Rebecca Katz October 5, 2023 Global Health Program
Mexico

ASEAN Summit, AMLO’s Final Year, COVID-19 Variants Emerge, and More

Southeast Asian leaders meet in Jakarta, Indonesia for the forty-third Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit, working to improve the bloc’s cooperation with external partners; Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, commonly known as AMLO, begins the last year of his six-year term; new COVID-19 variants drive a spike in U.S. cases and hospitalizations; and U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo’s visit to Beijing spurs renewed interest in U.S.-China trade.

Podcast with Robert McMahon and Shannon K. O'Neil August 31, 2023 The World Next Week
COVID-19

Anti-Corruption Campaign in China’s Medical Sector: Unmasking the Hidden Agenda

While the Chinese government’s new anti-corruption campaign has the potential to significantly advance China’s healthcare reform, it may also have unforeseen and potentially dire consequences.

Blog Post by Yanzhong Huang August 18, 2023 Asia Unbound
China

You Are Planning to Visit China: Here’s What You Need to Know

Foreign visitors to China focusing solely on the political risks of entering China may overlook other important factors that are more immediately relevant when travelling in the country.

Blog Post by Yanzhong Huang July 19, 2023 Asia Unbound
COVID-19

Judging How U.S. States Performed in the COVID-19 Pandemic Depends on the Metric

The United States struggled with COVID-19, but some states managed to keep deaths and infections relatively low without shutting society down or ignoring the crisis.

Interactive by Thomas J. Bollyky , Isabella Turilli and Emma Castro July 13, 2023 Global Health Program
Health Policy and Initiatives

A New U.S. Foreign Policy for Global Health

The United States should treat pandemics and global warming as apex health threats to its national interests, argues David P. Fidler.

Council Special Report by David P. Fidler June 28, 2023 Global Health Program
COVID-19

Not All U.S. States Struggled Equally Against COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the United States with over one million deaths over three years. Yet, the burden of the virus was not spread evenly across the country. States like Vermont and Washington had death rates comparable to well-performing countries in Scandinavia, while Mississippi and Arizona fared as poorly as the worst performing nations in the world, Russia and Peru. Speakers, Emma S. Castro and Joseph L. Dieleman from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, discuss the factors that contributed to those incredibly large cross-state differences in COVID-19 outcomes and the lessons learned from the parts of the United States that performed well.

Virtual Event by Emma S. Castro, Emma S. Castro, Joseph L. Dieleman, Joseph L. Dieleman, Thomas J. Bollyky and Thomas J. Bollyky June 1, 2023 Global Health Program
India

The Quad’s Longevity Might Hinge on Its Health Plan

Even though China might have spurred the Quad’s initial health response, the answer to its longevity lies in building sustainable future coordination.

Article by Manjari Chatterjee Miller May 30, 2023 Asia Program
China

China’s Post-COVID Recovery and Reopening

China’s post-COVID recovery and reopening efforts are hindered by geopolitical rivalries and national security concerns.

Blog Post by Yanzhong Huang May 24, 2023 Asia Unbound
COVID-19

When Will COVID-19 Become Endemic?

Government leaders are optimistic that COVID-19 is becoming more predictable and manageable, but the pandemic isn’t over yet.

In Brief by Claire Klobucista and Mariel Ferragamo May 24, 2023