Darrin Bergmann - Your Pandemic Prep Kit: How to Survive and Thrive During a Pandemic

Your Pandemic Prep Kit: How to Survive and Thrive During a Pandemic

By

Darrin Bergmann

2020 by Darrin Bergmann. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted by any means or in any form, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. This includes photocopying, recording, or other electronic or automated methods.

Although the author and publisher have made all reasonable efforts to ensure that the information in this book was correct at press time, the author and publisher hereby disclaim any liability to any party for any loss, damage, or disruption caused by errors or omissions in this book, whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident, or any other cause.

To the extent that this book contains information related to health and wellness, the information contained in this book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of licensed physicians. Readers should regularly consult a physician in matters related to his or her health, especially with respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.

1. Introduction: What is a Pandemic?

L ets begin at the beginningwhat is a pandemic? How does it begin and how is it different from a normal bug that travels through society? When does an infectious disease go from being just an infectious disease to a pandemic?

Declaring a pandemic

T he World Health Organization (WHO), which is a specialized agency of the United Nations, is the organization which determines whether and when an infectious disease should be declared a pandemic. According to the WHO, a pandemic occurs when a new disease for which people have not yet developed immunity spreads around the globe beyond expectations. When a pandemic is declared, this doesnt mean that the characteristics of the disease have changed. Instead, a pandemic declaration has to do with concerns about the geographic spread of the disease. The WHOs definition of a pandemic is an epidemic occurring worldwide, or over a very wide area, crossing international boundaries and usually affecting a large number of people. There is no set threshold for the declaration of a pandemicno minimum number of infections, or deaths, or countries affected.

Where travelers who were infected in a foreign country then return home, this is known as an index case and does not count towards declaring a pandemic. Similarly, infection by a traveler from a foreign country also does not count. Thats not to say that foreign travel does not contribute indirectly to the spread of a disease which ultimately becomes a pandemic. Its just that a travelers bringing a disease to a foreign country or home to their own country does not, standing alone, mean the disease has reached pandemic status. To become a pandemic, there must be a secondary wave of infection that spreads out from the traveler.

What is the difference between a pandemic and an epidemic?

A n epidemic is a sudden increase in the number of cases of a disease which may be concentrated in one community or geographic area. A pandemic, on the other hand, refers to a disease that has a wide geographic spread and may affect an entire country or even the entire world. Pandemics are typically classified as epidemics before they become pandemics.

Epidemics don't always become pandemics, and the transition from epidemic to pandemic is not always clear or fast. For example, HIV was considered an epidemic in West Africa for many decades before it became a pandemic in the late 20th century. Today, because of advances in medicine, HIV is considered endemic. This means the rate of the disease is stable and predictable in certain populations.

What is the purpose of declaring a pandemic?

I f a disease has reached the WHOs criteria for declaration of a pandemic, this means that its far more likely that the disease will spread rapidly in and beyond communities, and governments and healthcare systems of both affected and unaffected areas must be prepared to deal with the economic, social, and health-related effects of the widespread and potentially serious illnesses. The use of the term pandemic signals the importance of countries and communities working together to bring the disease under control as quickly as possible.

COVID-19

C OVID-19, the most recent (and ongoing) pandemic at the time of this writing, began as an epidemic in China. It then made its way around the world in just a couple of months and the WHO declared a pandemic. COVID-19 is a viral respiratory illness, the spread of which has been closely documented in the media. The virus causing COVID-19 is not the same as the coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illness, such as the common cold. Symptoms of COVID-19 include mild to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.