Pandemics

Anyone remotely familiar with the news has already become aware of the coronavirus. The news itself seems to be riddled with numerous stories related to the virus. Originating in Wuhan, China, the virus has spread to many countries across the globe. Many places are in a state of emergency, handing out safety protocols, and closing traveling/borders in and out of the country. Because of the transmission of the coronavirus, it was bound to spread to a multitude of areas of the world. Coronavirus could be at the brink of becoming a full blown pandemic across the world as a result. As coronavirus ravages communities all around the world, it is important to understand what are pandemics, how it is important, and what changes can occur. 

A pandemic is an outbreak of global proportions. It usually occurs when a bacterium or novel virus becomes capable of spreading quickly. It can cause serious illness and can spread easier from one person to the next. The origin of pandemic is from the greak word pandemos meaning “pertaining to all people”. Pandemics are also always compared to epidemics. They are different in many ways. Epidemics are a large outbreak that spreads among a population, while pandemics have a global impact of the spread. The death toll in a pandemic is also usually higher than in an epidemic as a result. Pandemics spread easily due to the increased access to travel and mobility compared to the past. Humans can usually not adapt or not have an immunity against a new virus, which gives it the ability to mutate fast enough and increase the likelihood of a pandemic. Pandemics are driven by a spread risk and a spark risk. There are several countries that are considered to have “high” spark risks like Central and West Africa due to their lack of preparedness of pandemics. 

Historically, the worst pandemic in the world was the Spanish flu, which killed 100 million people. There have been several pandemics that have been as devastating. In 1899, cholera was considered a pandemics. In 1967, the Asian flu was also a pandemic. Most recently, Avian flu dominated the world as a pandemic in 2009. Pandemics that occurred throughout history have appeared to increase in frequency as there is more of an emergence of viral disease from animals. 

If the coronavirus closes in on becoming a pandemic, there are many problems that could arise. One problem is traveling. People nowadays travel internationally more frequently, especially to big cities. This can increase the spread of a virus or influenza at a much faster rate. Another problem is communication. Faster communication can increase the risk of panic and increase the amount of people that would travel to try to get away from those that are affected by the pandemic. A third problem is the fact that a vaccine may not be available for a couple months to a few years after the first major outbreak. Pandemic viruses are novel agents. Building a vaccine and testing it out in human clinical trials will take a while, thus allowing time for the virus to spread even more. Another potential problem is medical facilities. Medical facilities could become overwhelmed and ill-equipped. It can also potentially have a shortage of personnel to provide health care service due to demand and spread of the virus. The last issue that will be mentioned is the economic damage to short-term stocks and other potential long-term implications. 

Potential pandemics calls for a global protocol on how to decrease the risk of spreading the virus across the globe. Despite many examples of historic pandemics that swept populations, there still lacks a global agreement on how to scale back the outbreaks. However, the World Health Organization can only do as much as educate on detection and prevention techniques. A more coordinated global response is needed as well as set standards if improvements are to be seen, which is more difficult said than done.

References: 

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/148945#concerns

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK525302/

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/24/opinion/coronavirus-pandemic.html