Pandemics An introduction to

What is a pandemic? A pandemic is the rapid spread of an infectious disease which crosses over many countries and infects a large number of people. Questions to consider: -What can countries do to contain the disease? -What are the long-term consequences? -What are the communication issues? -How can countries provide a cure? -Who are the major players? Health care workers in Guinea wearing “Ebola-suits” before entering a clinic.

Containing the spread of the disease A disease is considered a pandemic only when it is contagious or infectious. It is important to contain the disease in order to prevent more people from getting sick. Countries have contained diseases in the past by: -Quarantine: separating sick people from healthy people -Closing borders and travel to and from the country -Ensuring safe water and hygiene -Discovering vaccines and cures

Managing the long-term consequences After a large-scale pandemic, countries are often drained of resources and money, and have to take time to rebuild. Examples of long-term consequences: -Economic: Governments spend a lot of money on health care workers and vaccines. In developing countries, if farmers who usually provide goods for the economy become sick, the economy suffers. -Physical: Although some people may survive the disease, it may have lasting effects on their bodies for the rest of their lives. -Resources: Countries use almost all their medical and health care service resources to fight the disease.

Communication Issues During a pandemic, people may not fully understand the disease and how it spreads, so they become scared and accidentally spread false information. It is the responsibility of governments and health organizations to keep citizens updated with accurate and frequent information. Communication challenges: -Giving people accurate information frequently when the pace of the disease changes -Making sure people are spreading accurate information through social media -Communicating the same message between governments, health-care providers, and patients

Finding and providing and inexpensive cure When a country is hit by a pandemic, their primary concern is to develop a cure for the disease. When finding a cure, countries must consider the costs of research and development and how to administer the cure among all those infected. If a cure cannot be found, health care workers use existing medicines and treatment to heal the patients and prevent the disease from spreading.

Case Study: The Bubonic Plague The Bubonic Plague, also known as “the Black Death” was an infectious bacterial disease that killed one third of Europe’s population in the Late Middle Ages ( ). It is an infection of the lymphatic system, and was usually spread from flea bites. Please take some time to complete The Bubonic Plague worksheet.

Case Study: The Bubonic Plague How was the spread of the Plague contained? -Doctors quarantined their patients -European cities forbid their citizens from visiting areas infected with the plague What were the long term consequences of the plague? -Almost one third of the population in Europe was lost - There was a high demand for labor in Europe after the plague because the disease killed most of the working population.

Case Study: The Bubonic Plague What were the communication issues? Since the disease was very deadly and misunderstood, many people thought it was a punishment by God. Infected people were completely isolated from society because healthy people didn’t want to get sick. How did doctors find and provide a cure? The disease was new so no one understood how it spread or how to cure it. Since antibiotics were not invented at the time, doctors encouraged sick people to get rest and move to uninfected areas. The Bubonic Plague eventually ended in the 1350s.

Relevant Players Pandemics affect every part of society. Many different people and organizations are responsible for carrying out responses to the pandemic, which can determine how long it will last. Some important actors in pandemics are: Countries/governments Social media users News outlets World Health Organization Pharmaceutical companies NGOs

Countries and their governments Governments, usually their Departments or Ministries of Health, have response plans in place in case of a health emergency. When a pandemic occurs, they are responsible for carrying out the response plan and informing citizens of how they will take care of people infected with the disease.

Social Media Social media is a huge part of how we communicate. Governments and agencies can use social media to spread information about a disease quickly, but it is important for social media users to spread the right information in order to prevent misunderstanding and panic.

News Outlets Similarly to social media, news outlets such as CNN, BBC, and newspapers are responsible to report accurate news. They can be used to communicate messages to the public about the disease, how it spreads, and how to stay healthy.

World Health Organization The WHO is an agency of the UN that deals with international health. It was established in 1948 and is responsible for eradicating and teaching people about diseases. During a pandemic, the WHO helps countries enact emergency response plans. It also sends medical care and health workers to infected areas to help treat sick people. It is also responsible for releasing important and accurate information so that people can understand the disease.

Pharmaceutical Companies Pharmaceutical (drug) companies are private companies responsible for making medicines to treat certain diseases. During a pandemic, these companies are responsible for making and distributing medicine to treat or contain the disease. Drug companies often have their own pandemic response plan to help them prepare for drug creation and distribution.

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent organization that does not belong to a government or for- profit company. NGOs are established for charities, religious, political, or social interests. During a pandemic, they may: -Donate money, medical supplies, or volunteers -Assist in project management -Advocate governments or citizens to take action