The Lancet
British peer-reviewed general medical journal; one of the oldest, founded 1823.
Last refreshed: 7 May 2026
Where do clinicians read peer-reviewed pandemic evidence first?
Timeline for The Lancet
Mentioned in: Emory aerosol study reframes dairy PPE
Pandemics and BiosecurityMentioned in: WHO publishes three Q1 pathogen-family roadmaps
Pandemics and Biosecurity- Is The Lancet a peer-reviewed journal?
- Yes, The Lancet is a weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal published by Elsevier since 1823.
- Who publishes The Lancet?
- Elsevier publishes The Lancet, with editorial independence under Editor-in-Chief Richard Horton since 1995.
- What did The Lancet publish about COVID-19?
- The Lancet published early Wuhan case-series papers in January 2020 and has hosted dominant streams on transmission, vaccines, and long COVID since.
- How does The Lancet shape pandemic policy?
- Through Series papers, Commissions, and editorials that feed WHO R&D Blueprint and national preparedness consultations.
Background
The Lancet is a British weekly peer-reviewed general medical journal, founded in 1823 by Thomas Wakley and now published by Elsevier. It is one of the oldest and most cited medical journals in the world, alongside the New England Journal of Medicine and the BMJ. Its scope spans clinical research, public health, and global health policy, with named family titles including Lancet Global Health, Lancet Infectious Diseases, Lancet Public Health, and Lancet Planetary Health.
Editorial direction has long combined original research with social-medicine framing, taking explicit positions on health-system equity, climate, and the political determinants of health. Editor-in-Chief Richard Horton has held the post since 1995. The journal's Series papers, Commission reports, and editorials regularly shape policy debates beyond clinical practice.
The Lancet and its family titles, particularly Lancet Infectious Diseases and Lancet Global Health, are primary venues for peer-reviewed pandemic-risk evidence. The journal published the early COVID-19 Wuhan case-series papers in January 2020 and continues to host the dominant streams on H5N1 transmission dynamics, mpox clade I in central Africa, and antimicrobial resistance modelling. Trish Greenhalgh's March 2021 commentary on aerosol transmission, cited in this briefing's Emory dairy-aerosol context , ran here. Lancet Series and Commission outputs are also part of the WHO R&D Blueprint consultation circuit shaping the Q1 2026 family roadmaps , particularly on Filovirus and Arenaviridae preparedness.