Throughout history, many diseases have spread worldwide in pandemics. Epidemics have left a lasting mark on human history, with the 14th-century plague pandemic taking a toll on 30% of Europe’s population and the tragic 1918 influenza pandemic causing the loss of 50 million lives globally.
A pandemic signifies a worldwide outbreak of an infectious disease, characterized by rapid and contagious transmission from person to person or even from animals to humans. It is a serious threat to public health and may have catastrophic effects on economies and societies.
In recent years, a number of new pathogens have emerged that have the potential to cause pandemics in the future. For example, SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, has been circulating across Asia and Europe. It is a virus that does not have immunity in humans, and it spreads quickly through airborne particles created by the coughing or sneezing of infected individuals.
In the event of a pandemic, swift action is crucial to contain the virus and prevent its cross-border spread. That means detecting, testing, treating, isolating, tracing, and mobilizing all people in the affected country. The WHO recommends that all countries begin working on their pandemic preparedness plans immediately.
As per the WHO, a pandemic involves rapid global transmission of an infectious disease causing widespread illness and fatalities. The disease is considered to be a pandemic when there is “a clear and present danger of large-scale epidemics” of the illness, affecting millions or even billions of people.
During the past 3 years, the COVID-19 pandemic has spread through the globe and killed more than 6.6 million people. This pandemic has devastated lives and the economy, and is estimated to have cost the world’s population US$12.5 trillion by 2024.
While it is impossible to predict what a new pandemic will look like, the next one could be more severe than COVID-19, experts say. It could be from a natural source, like a lethal strain of bird or swine flu that mutates and becomes contagious to humans.
As a result, public health and national defense experts are constantly on the lookout for any type of virus that could cause a pandemic. They also are studying spillover viruses, which occur when pathogens jump from animals to humans and are then spread by aerosols created when infected individuals cough, sneeze or talk.
It is also important to prepare for the possibility of a pandemic by developing your family’s emergency plan and making updates as necessary. It is also important to discuss the lessons learned from previous pandemics and decide how you can use them to prepare for the next one.
The Next Pandemic Will Strike Harder Than First
Historically, pandemics have caused a large amount of social disruption and economic hardship. They can also lead to a loss of productivity for businesses and government agencies.
The next pandemic will be more difficult to stop, but we can take steps to reduce the risk of it occurring again. It is important to educate yourself about the different types of pandemics and the factors that make them so deadly.
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