![Ambulance staff with a patient outside the Royal London hospital. EPA](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3J5WERMHKRQVAE5PURZXQP4JYI.jpg?smart=true&auth=439d3f9b925001275283677efed4078b2eda5c3f524a832297e7e6e70185d700&width=400&height=225)
![A person waits to get the vaccine as a health worker prepares an injection with a dose, at a vaccination centre in Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, London. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2IO52RPA4WLGABZA7DZ2F2TXWQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=3c2fd6730b6162cbb46ac4eedd81a99d8a6b1b569a0a209768f8e010d9f70daf&width=400&height=225)
![Volunteers distribute coronavirus self-test kits to residents at a home in the village of Bramley, west of London. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KG5CWFYD7U3RT7RNRBEK7UMATU.jpg?smart=true&auth=c47e85b6e3727dcd1f06633175e5f4ed40caca473c23a1206c10dc7e079be3ef&width=400&height=225)
![A woman holds boxes and a bottled drink in her room at the Radisson Blu hotel at Heathrow Airport, where travellers are undertaking mandatory hotel quarantine. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4W7XAXPMEUIS3RGJCH46YR3QFA.jpg?smart=true&auth=4b574645cce4ecb3947569f85a2cb0ddd58899f0bc32c814e452e179447597ec&width=400&height=225)
![A pedestrian passes a closed shop with a window display from last year in the Mayfair area of central London. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/NCDVADGCMKDGH5L42VXV6YUZCQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=77d341109548da13112d365a918aa32e6676c0d83de13dc719b617fb09af8ad1&width=400&height=225)
![A man sits at a window of the Radisson Blu hotel at Heathrow Airport. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3CI3GTLSTBAZ5FCN3RYLEGVSUA.jpg?smart=true&auth=f026e910db80c590c760654c6fe623a4bedab8cf84f4aac9d634572d028cde3a&width=400&height=225)
![NHS staff with a dialysis filter machine outside the Royal London hospital. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IAIHMTPD74JVFZGE7U2RJ22F7E.jpg?smart=true&auth=0cf09198a2eefcfdc2ce1c1c49f36152136b12ad2a709d39e1ccf247c02249f0&width=400&height=225)
![A pedestrian passes closed shop fronts in Mayfair, central London. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/JUBYWZXOAN6D76YW4BSN6L7HWE.jpg?smart=true&auth=1dd795681406e7dfe1a09114311d18f7e1a71221b232f7e154a4108cd4c375b0&width=400&height=225)
![A pedestrian walks past a mobile Covid-19 test centre in London. EPA](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IVKY56D5J3EIWUT6YTNAIM5JU4.jpg?smart=true&auth=b50a8cb7020b360362878665f68cbc3d83e346fa371630a9427f7e53f1651bf9&width=400&height=225)
![A person receives the vaccine in Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, London. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4VVAE3KFPIGT42XMKUQLHDYMNE.jpg?smart=true&auth=3cdd450fa23119ca98513aed82e240919d04404e288a8c0713ebcb1259fadd3f&width=400&height=225)
![Ambulance staff with a patient outside the Royal London hospital. EPA](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3J5WERMHKRQVAE5PURZXQP4JYI.jpg?smart=true&auth=439d3f9b925001275283677efed4078b2eda5c3f524a832297e7e6e70185d700&width=400&height=225)
![A person waits to get the vaccine as a health worker prepares an injection with a dose, at a vaccination centre in Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, London. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/2IO52RPA4WLGABZA7DZ2F2TXWQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=3c2fd6730b6162cbb46ac4eedd81a99d8a6b1b569a0a209768f8e010d9f70daf&width=400&height=225)
![Volunteers distribute coronavirus self-test kits to residents at a home in the village of Bramley, west of London. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/KG5CWFYD7U3RT7RNRBEK7UMATU.jpg?smart=true&auth=c47e85b6e3727dcd1f06633175e5f4ed40caca473c23a1206c10dc7e079be3ef&width=400&height=225)
![A woman holds boxes and a bottled drink in her room at the Radisson Blu hotel at Heathrow Airport, where travellers are undertaking mandatory hotel quarantine. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4W7XAXPMEUIS3RGJCH46YR3QFA.jpg?smart=true&auth=4b574645cce4ecb3947569f85a2cb0ddd58899f0bc32c814e452e179447597ec&width=400&height=225)
![A pedestrian passes a closed shop with a window display from last year in the Mayfair area of central London. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/NCDVADGCMKDGH5L42VXV6YUZCQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=77d341109548da13112d365a918aa32e6676c0d83de13dc719b617fb09af8ad1&width=400&height=225)
![A man sits at a window of the Radisson Blu hotel at Heathrow Airport. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3CI3GTLSTBAZ5FCN3RYLEGVSUA.jpg?smart=true&auth=f026e910db80c590c760654c6fe623a4bedab8cf84f4aac9d634572d028cde3a&width=400&height=225)
![NHS staff with a dialysis filter machine outside the Royal London hospital. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IAIHMTPD74JVFZGE7U2RJ22F7E.jpg?smart=true&auth=0cf09198a2eefcfdc2ce1c1c49f36152136b12ad2a709d39e1ccf247c02249f0&width=400&height=225)
![A pedestrian passes closed shop fronts in Mayfair, central London. AFP](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/JUBYWZXOAN6D76YW4BSN6L7HWE.jpg?smart=true&auth=1dd795681406e7dfe1a09114311d18f7e1a71221b232f7e154a4108cd4c375b0&width=400&height=225)
![A pedestrian walks past a mobile Covid-19 test centre in London. EPA](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/IVKY56D5J3EIWUT6YTNAIM5JU4.jpg?smart=true&auth=b50a8cb7020b360362878665f68cbc3d83e346fa371630a9427f7e53f1651bf9&width=400&height=225)
![A person receives the vaccine in Westfield Stratford City shopping centre, London. Reuters](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/4VVAE3KFPIGT42XMKUQLHDYMNE.jpg?smart=true&auth=3cdd450fa23119ca98513aed82e240919d04404e288a8c0713ebcb1259fadd3f&width=400&height=225)
![Ambulance staff with a patient outside the Royal London hospital. EPA](https://thenational-the-national-prod.cdn.arcpublishing.com/resizer/v2/3J5WERMHKRQVAE5PURZXQP4JYI.jpg?smart=true&auth=439d3f9b925001275283677efed4078b2eda5c3f524a832297e7e6e70185d700&width=400&height=225)
To predict the next crisis, governments need to go big on big data
The UK has relied on a hodgepodge of information scientists to fight Covid-19, but it's time to think on a grander scale
February 20, 2021
- Listen In English
- Listen In Arabic
February 20, 2021