Drug companies don't have much financial incentive to invest research and development dollars into new vaccines and antibiotics, leaving the world vulnerable to future pandemics.
Between the lines: The best-case scenario for these kinds of drugs is that they're lightly or never used. That doesn't sound very good to companies when their R&D dollars could alternatively go to diseases like cancer, which are much more likely to turn a sizable profit.
The deadly coronavirus has not yet sufficiently spread internationally to designate the outbreak as a global health emergency, the World Health Organization announced Thursday.
Why it matters: Some say the lack of a declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) could lessen international focus and funding needed to address a potential threat, but others worry such a declaration could limit the travel and trade important to many people's livelihoods.
