Nordic Life Science 1
PhD, (born 1944) is an American scientist, busine
ssman, author and philanthropist. He has been a professor at Harvard Medical School and is well known for his pioneering work in cancer, HIV/ AIDS and genomics. He has also founded more than a dozen biotechnology companies, including Human Genome Sciences, and he serves on advisory boards for numerous international entities. Throughout his career he has also become more dedicated to trying to improve access to high quality, affordable healthcare for people in low, middle and high income countries alike. He is currently Chair and President of ACCESS Health International, a nonprofit organization that fosters innovative solutions to the greatest health challenges of our day. During the COVID-19 pandemic Dr Haseltine has frequently been interviewed by the media and he has shared his expertise in the field of global human health. Nordic Life Science got an exclusive chance to ask him about his views on the COVID-19 pandemic, both in the Nordics and globally, and what he believes is the way forward and out of it. When did you realize that this new coronavirus was going to spread globally and cause a global pandemic? What were your thoughts? ”My organization, ACCESS Health International, has an office in Wuhan, China. In mid-January I was getting direct reports from people in Wuhan about the outbreak. One person had three grandparents die within two weeks and other people had many of their friends and family members fall ill. I was able to observe, in real time, what was happening throughout January and in early February in Wuhan, as well as other Chinese cities. From my experience with viruses over the years, I’ve come to understand their potential for very rapid spread and the inability of most health systems, particularly those in the United States, to contain them. From my perspective, the situation took a very dark turn when the President of the United States ignored the early recommendations and warnings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. At that point, it was clear that we were open to the disastrous effects of this new virus. What has surprised me, as well as many medical professionals, is the severity of the disease. It first appeared to be pneumonia. Now, we understand that it is best described as a multi-system disease, affecting the lungs, brain, heart, kidney, liver, intestine, pancreas, and circulatory system.” NORDICLIFESCIENCE.ORG 71