If there is anything that the televisions and film industry has taught us over the last ten years it is that the apocalypse will most likely come not from rocks hurtling from space or mushroom clouds on the horizon but from microscopic organisms and particles that we can not see or hear or shoot at.
From The Walking Dead to Twelve Monkeys to Contagion we have seen the story written in the same way with the same core villain, a transmissible, debilitating, evil disease.
But the question left after the credits have rolled and the actors have taken their bows and the day has inevitably been saved is how accurate is this script? And what do we do about it?
SARS, the Spanish Flu and the Justinian Plague
With the discovery of new and novel viruses such as SARS, H1N1 and recently the new Coronavirus 2019nCov, the impact and the devastation that diseases can cause has been in the forefront of the world’s mind. This, however, is not a new story, humanity has faced pandemics in the past, including the Justinian Plague which some experts believe killed up to a quarter of the population in the Eastern Mediterranean in the sixth century, the Black Death that ravaged Europe in the 1300s and the Spanish Flu that in the twentieth century wiped out 5% of the world population in only two years
We have learned since these times though, we have improved containment and detection measures, increased treatment capabilities and vaccinations and created organisations to combat such disasters. New diseases, however, still keep popping up with an average of five new diseases each year, many of the most dangerous jumping from animal to human populations. The interconnectedness of the world creates another risk, with viruses now able to travel through diverse populations with great ease and speed, as was seen with the SARS virus which infected people in 26 countries after originating in South East China, and the 2019nCov which has as of the third of February travelled to 25 countries.
Many experts believe that at some unknown point, the next global pandemic will be inevitable, whether this pandemic will be relatively benign or one to end us all is still yet to be seen.
What Do We Do About It?
Which brings us to the next issue, what do we do about it?
Governments and organisations around the world have been preparing for the next threat from the shadowy world of viruses for years, increasing measures to identify, contain and treat any new, emerging or mutating diseases. Combating issues such as global warming and climate change also may potentially slow or prevent new diseases emerging, as melting permafrost can cause new viruses to be exposed. Reducing logging and creating more sustainable farming methods to avoid wildlife and human populations from having to share the same spaces may also help stave off our doom.
Rick Grimes and the First Rule of Zombieland
On a more personal level, Columbus from Zombieland may not have had it completely wrong when he claimed the first rule of Zombieland is Cardio. Healthy populations have stronger immune systems and as such greater resistance to threats.
In addition, listening to health care organisations and following their instructions may help limit the effects of pandemics in the future.
Another lesson for surviving the next pandemic, don’t panic. Humanity has faced viruses since the beginning of life on Earth and will continue to face them, we have won this race before. Technology is always improving and protocols are always getting better.
And, the final lesson from the world TV and movies for surviving the next pandemic, as said by Rick Grimes, we survive this by pulling together not apart. If there is one thing that all these stories have in common it is the enduring hope and perseverance of humanity, and the fact that in the worst of times we find our strength in each other. That perhaps will be what in the end will save us all.
So roll the credits and take a bow, because as per
the script we are here to inevitably save the day.
The News Reel 