U of M Stepping Up To Create New Infectious Disease Center

The University of Michigan is stepping up with a new center to study infectious diseases and to help Michigan and the rest of the country prepare for future pandemics.

We as Americans have been spoiled over the years thinking the leaders of the country were taking care of things and having the country better prepared for things like pandemics. Obviously from what has happened, America wasn't prepared, Michigan wasn't prepared and even the University of Michigan wasn't prepared. That is about to change.

U of M will be putting their money where their mouth is by building a $14 million new Michigan Center for Infectious Disease Threats. This is great news for the university, the state and the country, because this new center will be focused entirely on the study of infectious diseases and how to prepare when a pandemic occurs moving forward.

I personally really thought our state and our country were prepared for a pandemic. It isn't like it was a surprise, there have been issues going for years and the world new it was only a matter of time. I guess getting re-elected and taking money from lobbyist was more important than looking out for the American people, but that is a whole other problem we can look at another time.

What I am most glad about is that U of M is not waiting and doing something about this problem for our futures.

According to FOX 17, Infectious Disease Expert Aubree Gordon said, "since 2000, we've had three coronaviruses that are new to humans cause outbreaks or the current pandemic. And we've had three influenza viruses try to make the jump from animals to humans, and one succeeded. So what's the likelihood that we see another pandemic in our lives? I'll say the likelihood is pretty high."

That is scary to hear that the likelihood of another pandemic is high but at the same time, it's comforting to know that there are people who are taking the initiative to build the facility at U of M.

Gordon will run the center with the main objective to connect researchers and better prepare everyone to be ready as a university, a state and a country.