Could Health Pandemics be on Their Last Legs?

Throughout the semester we have learned about numerous lethal diseases that can spread without warning, leaving thousands if not millions of people sick or dead.  Some of these diseases include HIV/AIDS, Influenza, Malaria, and Tuberculosis.  These diseases have an impact on countries all over the world but tend to hit the hardest in poorer regions where the health facilities and knowledge is not as up to date as the rest of the world.  Not having proper vaccines or medical facilities to treat those who have contracted the disease only leaves the door open for more people to get the disease, starting a snowball effect that once started is extremely difficult to stop.  However, there scientists who believe they may be closing in on a way to stop some of the current pandemics.  With these viruses affecting so many people throughout the world they can seem very intimidating, but according to health experts that may not actually be the case.  “Viruses are much more fragile than you think," he said. "H7N9, now circulating in China, doesn't go person to person -- it has to go from birds or pigs to people. That makes it more complicated to spread. So things have to go just right for a virus to become a pandemic. That's why it's important to contain it in one country."  However, just because scientists feel like it is possible to contain and possibly eradicate a virus, it doesn’t mean that the virus should be taken lightly.  “"A pandemic would have not just deaths and medical consequences, but also -- social disruption. There would be global recession and depression. Millions would lose their jobs. There would be no Internet and no flights," explains Brilliant. "Would you get on an airplane with 250 people coughing and sneezing, when you knew some of them might carry a disease that could kill you? It would be apocalyptic”.  With such drastic side effects it is crucial that we find a way to contain such viruses and if possible eradicate the pandemics before they can spread too far.  An example of a pandemic that has nearly been labeled as eradicated is Polio.  Since being a pandemic, the amount of Polio cases has continue to drop for the last decade.

  With previous diseases being able to have been eradicated along with the fact that scientists to continue to develop new technology to combat pandemics the future is looking bright when it comes to trying to eradicate pandemics.