Relevance of national, regional and global virome projects on pandemics prediction, prevention, and control: A social network analysis of GVP-citing articles

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The Global Virome Project (GVP) was proposed in 2018 as an evolution of the USAID PREDICT project and was presented as a “collaborative scientific initiative to discover zoonotic viral threats and stop future pandemics”. The immediate response was mixed, with representatives of the public health and scientific communities showing skepticism, if not direct opposition. MEMÓRIAS DO INSTITUTO OSWALDO CRUZ This is a preliminary version of the accepted article OBJECTIVES: The economic, social, and health consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated how unprepared the world was in the face of new pandemics. This paper analyses the impact of the GVP on the scientific and public health communities. METHODS: Published scientific articles that cited the two 2018 seminal publications proposing the program were analyzed using social network analysis methods. FINDINGS: Encompassing the periods before and after the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the results indicate that: (i) the concepts of the GVP have received more support than opposition in the scientific literature; (ii) its foundations should be updated to address the specific criticisms. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Shifting focus to National Virome Projects can provide tangible, regional benefits that can contribute to a consensus on achieving a high level of preparedness for the ever-present possibility of the next global viral pandemic.