{"id":15969,"date":"2024-05-22T07:59:33","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T06:59:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/besafenet.net\/naturgefahren\/pandemics\/"},"modified":"2024-05-22T07:59:35","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T06:59:35","slug":"pandemics","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/besafenet.net\/de\/naturgefahren\/pandemics\/","title":{"rendered":"Pandemics"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Naturgefahren<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

Pandemics<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
Prepared by CEMEC – European Center for Disaster Medicine Center \u2013 San Marino & the Editorial Board<\/em><\/h6>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Biological hazard is a term applied to the possibility that biological agents cause disease, including pathogenic micro-organisms, viruses, toxins spores, fungi and vectors or transmitters of disease such as humans themselves, animals and plants.<\/p>\n

These sources can cause various negative health effects ranging from skin irritation and allergies to infections and life-threatening diseases.\u00a0 Currently we are facing one of the most important health issues that the world has ever experienced with the ongoing so-called „novel coronavirus disease“ or COVID-19 pandemics. Public health experts believe that mankind is at a greater risk than ever of experiencing large-scale outbreaks and global pandemics. Epidemics seem to spread faster and further than ever, outbreaks that were previously localized can now become pandemic very rapidly due to a series of factors such as population growth and globalization, and climate change.\u00a0 The direct health impacts of pandemics can be catastrophic, in terms of public health but also of economic and social wellbeing and have a significant psychological impact. Pandemic prevention plans need to be implemented worldwide.<\/p>\n

Disease surveillance remains one of the highest-stakes areas of science; preventing pandemics by investing in research and analysing circumstances underlying outbreaks can save thousands of lives.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Symbolized by a striking medallion of curving, curlicue scepters , the sinister nature of a biohazard is evoked by the sharp and pointed nature of the otherwise round symbol. Source: Getty images <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Recent pandemic events.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In this paper a few examples of pandemics are given. The history of pandemics shows that in the past, they were prevalently sustained by bacteria (e.g. plague, cholera, etc.), whereas since the 20th<\/sup> century, the main pandemics have been sustained by viruses, especially flu viruses.<\/p>\n

The fears of the world health authorities are mainly about flu viruses, since new pandemics appear regularly at intervals of 20-40 years, correlated to the continual antigenic mixes of animal (swine, avian) and human flu viruses. This continual genetic recombination can also produce strains that are highly aggressive in humans, featuring rapid inter-human transmission due to the fertile terrain of an immune system that is inactive against the new virus since it has never before encountered that particular strain. The BeSafeNet website will help to better understand the occurrence, characteristics and impact of biological hazards; a theme that needs to be addressed by the schools.<\/p>\n

Spanish Flu 1918<\/strong><\/p>\n

During the 20th<\/sup> century, the Spanish flu affected one third of the world population and was particularly severe, causing an estimated number of deaths of between 50 and 100 million people, with social and economic consequences that lasted for the subsequent generations.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Spanish Flu, Hospital Ward in San Francisco 1918, about 20 to 50 million people died. Source: Getty images <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

SARS 2002-2003<\/strong><\/p>\n

SARS (the acronym for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) is an atypical form of pneumonia caused by a coronavirus that was responsible for an epidemic outbreak in the Far East between 2002 and 2003, that caused several hundred deaths.\u00a0 Thanks to the isolation of the virus, a vaccine was soon developed and efficacious treatments that contained the spread of the disease.\u00a0 The Italian physician who discovered it, Carlo Urbani, has gone down in the history of medicine as the man who first identified the disease, and lost his life to it.<\/p>\n

Ebola 2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2014, Ebola hit three African countries (Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) and six other countries on three continents, causing alarm around the world.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Makoua, Congo,- September 27, 2013: A sign warns visitors that the area is Ebola infected. Signpost informing visitors that they are entering the ebola infected area. Source: Getty images<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Zika 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2015, the Zika virus, transmitted by the Aedes Aegypti mosquito, triggered a wave of microcephaly in Brazil, causing terrible damage to the brain during the embryonic stage, affecting more than 70 countries around the world.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Virologists showing zika virus vaccine, conducting clinical trial based on DNA source: Getty images<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Flu<\/strong><\/p>\n

Apart from historical examples, the most evident „modern“ pandemic is the flu, that occurs with a more or less annual periodicity, in areas over several continents, almost simultaneously. Other examples of current pandemics are HIV\/ AIDS (since 1981) and COVID-19 since 2019.<\/p>\n

SARS-CoV2 2019 <\/strong><\/p>\n

On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic due to the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV, later called SARS-CoV2, that causes COVID-19 (Co: coronavirus Vi: virus, D: disease 19), isolated in man for the first time at the end of 2019 in Wuhan, China.\u00a0 Li Wenliang, the doctor in Wuhan who first spread the alarm about a new coronavirus, did not gain a sufficient hearing and was then accused by the Chinese police of spreading fake news. He contracted COVID-19 one month later and died at the age of only 34 years.<\/p>\n

At present (towards the end of 2020) there have been about 29.5 million people infected in the world with almost 900,000 deaths. In descending order, the countries with the highest number of victims are the United States, Brazil, the United Kingdom and then Italy that was the first European country to face the virus. COVID-19 disease is often self-limiting and involves only flu-like symptoms, but it can be fatal because it can lead to pneumonia with acute respiratory syndrome and disseminated vasculitis in subjects with previous disease, immunosuppressed and the elderly. The course of the disease in children is self-limiting and resembles a common cold. There is currently no therapy that proves effective in COVID-19 disease; the therapy is mainly supportive based on antiviral drugs, for example antiretroviral drugs used in the treatment of HIV\/AIDS, chloroquine or immunomodulatory drugs. Vaccine prophylaxis seems to be the most promising strategy to be able to defeat the Coronavirus, for which there is still no effective therapy.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t1. What is a pandemic?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

One of the most important health issues faced by the world today is the threat of a global disease outbreak called a pandemic. A pandemic is an epidemic infectious disease that spreads rapidly to several areas of the world, affecting a very high number of people.  In accordance with the WHO (World Health Organization) definition, a pandemic is declared if a new disease spreads worldwide involving at least two continents. When it is used in reference to contagious diseases or conditions, the risk is that the entire world population is likely to be exposed to the pathogenic agent and develop the disease. These diseases are caused by newly detected or re-emerging biological agents. Analysing the history of outbreaks caused by these agents and trends in epidemiological data can help to better identify the related risks for the whole population, and save lives.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t2. What kind of pandemics occur?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t

\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t

Not all infectious disease-related terms have the same meaning, though often they\u2019re mistakenly used interchangeably. The distinction between the words \u201cpandemic,\u201d \u201cepidemic,\u201d and \u201cendemic\u201d is regularly mistaken.<\/p>

An epidemic is a disease that affects a large number of people within a community, population or region. A pandemic is an epidemic that spreads over multiple countries or continents. An outbreak is a greater-than-anticipated increase in the number of endemic cases. It can also be a single case in a new area. If it\u2019s not quickly controlled, an outbreak can become an epidemic.\u00a0<\/p>

Endemic is\u00a0 a disease that is constantly present in a region for\u00a0 example malaria is endemic to parts of Africa.<\/p>

What\u2019s the difference between epidemic and endemic?<\/p>

An epidemic is often localized to a region, but the number of those infected in that region is significantly higher than normal. For example, when COVID 19 was limited to Wuhan, China, it was an epidemic. The geographical spread turned it into a pandemic.<\/p>

A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. It differs from an outbreak or epidemic because it:<\/p>