Paul Burns, a retired MD and former employee of Dow Chemical, spoke to us about "Pandemics: Past Responses and Future Concerns."
Previous to 2000 the world averaged 3 pandemics per century. In the 2000's there have been two pandemics and factors suggesting that the world is at a higher risk of additional pandemics:
- Population increase
- Urbanization of wild spaces
- Increased global mobility
- Climate change
- Changes in food and agricultural systems
With his slide show Paul described how we should prepare for upcoming pandemics:
- Surveillance
- Diversify supply chains globally
- Strategic National Stockpiles
- Funding
- Plan for infection control in new construction and updates to old buildings to allow increased ventilation, safety and flexibility of function
In discussing what we have learned Paul stressed the need for health system preparedness before an emergency starts, and that public health is political but should not be partisan. He also endorsed the "Swiss Cheese" approach that recognizes that no single intervention is perfect at preventing the spread of a respiratory virus.