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Are We Prepared for the Looming Epidemic Threat?

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Are We Prepared for the Looming Epidemic Threat?

A dangerous virus, as yet unknown, has the potential to wipe out millions of us. Yet public health bodies are mired in complacency.

The Guardian,

5 min read
5 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

The next epidemic may be a cough away and could spread faster than Ebola.

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Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Eye Opening
  • Hot Topic

Recommendation

If you’re not losing sleep over the next pandemic, you likely haven’t heard of Harvard Medical School public health professor Jonathan Quick. In his compelling editorial, Quick details ways in which a swift-moving virus could kill millions of us in less than a year. The scenarios he paints are horrific, but Quick also provides sensible solutions to prevention, which could save millions of lives and billions of dollars. He cites the way the global AIDS/HIV prevention and treatment efforts slowed the progress of the disease and provides a roadmap for dealing with the next big public health threat.

Summary

Computer modeling estimates that there is a greater than 50% chance of a worldwide pandemic.

Epidemics are like earthquakes: Scientists know that a major one is coming because smaller ones occur regularly, globally. Bill Gates claims that a global pandemic is looming and funds research to investigate the spread of diseases. In fact, the number of infectious diseases has more than tripled from 1940 to 2000.

In 2014 alone, the World Health Organization tallied more than 100 outbreaks. Worse still, scientists have identified 25 new pathogens that have no treatment or vaccine.

With the rapidity of modern travel, infections can spread quickly...

About the Author

Jonathan Quick is chair of the Global Health Council, author of The End of Epidemics, and professor at the Harvard Medical School.

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