Here’s a scary thought: could the bird flu start spreading through the air, just like Covid did? Scientists, still fresh from the lessons of the pandemic, are now digging into this possibility. And honestly, it’s a question worth asking.

Back in early 2020, when Covid first hit, experts initially missed the mark on how it spread. It took years for the World Health Organization to officially confirm that the virus traveled through the air. But some researchers, like Lidia Morawska from Queensland University of Technology, saw the writing on the wall early on. Repeated warnings about airborne transmission were ignored, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Fast forward to today, and scientists are determined not to make the same mistake with bird flu. Last year, 66 people in the U.S. were infected by the H5N1 strain, mostly through handling sick birds. But things got more concerning when the virus was found in cows, raising the possibility of it jumping to humans through contaminated droplets.

Now, flu experts are keeping a close eye on whether bird flu could evolve to spread through the air. If it does, we could be looking at another pandemic. The idea of the virus floating through hospitals, restaurants, or other shared spaces is unsettling, to say the least.

While we’re not there yet, the research is a reminder of how important it is to stay ahead of these threats. After all, when it comes to pandemics, it’s better to be prepared than caught off guard.