If we want to learn how to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to embrace the complexity of this global phenomenon and capture interdependencies across scales and contexts. Yet, we still lack systematic approaches that we can use to deal holistically with the pandemic and its effects. In this Discussion, we first introduce a framework that highlights the systemic nature of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of the total environment as a self-regulating and evolving system comprising of three spheres, the Geosphere, the Biosphere, and the Anthroposphere. Then, we use this framework to explore and organize information from the rapidly growing number of scientific papers, preprints, preliminary scientific reports, and journalistic pieces that give insights into the pandemic crisis. With this work, we point out that the pandemic should be understood as the result of preconditions that led to depletion of human, biological, and geochemical diversity as well as of feedback that differentially impacted the three spheres. We contend that protecting and promoting diversity, is necessary to contribute to more effective decision-making processes and policy interventions to face the current and future pandemics.

如果我们想学习如何应对COVID-19大流行，我们就必须接受这种全球现象的复杂性，并捕获各个规模和环境之间的相互依存关系。但是，我们仍然缺乏可用于整体应对大流行及其影响的系统方法。在此讨论中，我们首先介绍一个框架，该框架从整体环境的角度突出显示了COVID-19大流行的系统性质，该环境是一个由三个领域（地圈，生物圈和人类圈）组成的自我调节和发展的系统。然后，我们使用此框架来探索和组织来自迅速增长的科学论文，预印本，初步科学报告和新闻作品的信息，这些信息可以洞悉大流行危机。通过这项工作，我们指出，应将流行理解为导致人类，生物和地球化学多样性枯竭的前提条件的结果，以及对这三个领域产生不同影响的反馈的结果。我们认为，保护和促进多样性对于促进更有效的决策过程和应对当前和未来大流行的政策干预是必要的。