OXFORD VACCINE PROFESSOR WARNS OF 'NEW FLU PANDEMIC'; 10 TIMES MORE INFECTIOUS SAYS EXPERT - REPORT!   

Amid the COVID-19 rise and fear, the scientist behind the Oxford coronavirus vaccine has spoken and warned of the rising risk of outbreaks of diseases that pass from animals to humans.

As per Independent report, Professor Sarah Gilbert speaks of the spread of zoonotic diseases that has become more likely because of our lifestyles. She feels that with growing population density, increased international travel and deforestation will lead to another pandemic. 

Giving an update on the spread of zoonotic diseases, the professor states that this deadly flu comes as a mutated strain of coronavirus which is said to be “10 times more infectious”. This virus was found in Indonesia as well as neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia. 

As researchers are yet to prove where COVID-19 originated, most experts believe that it was passed from bats to humans via another animal. In the same way, scientists suspect SARS and Ebola were also diseases passed on from animals. 

According to the World Health Organisation, Zoonotic diseases account for millions of deaths every year and about 60 percent of the world's emerging infectious diseases have come from animals. 

"Because of the way things have been going in the world, it's more likely we'll have zoonotic infections causing outbreaks in the future. Greater population density, greater travel, deforestation – all of these things make it more likely that these outbreaks will happen and then something will spread," Professor Gilbert added.