6.8 billion people in the world, and I'm going to be panicking because a million of them got some flu?
Hardly.
In 1918, when we had NONE of the technilogical capabilities of today, had NO ability to communicate, had no real ability to transport goods and services, we lost 40 million people in the world to a flu.
This flu could be "as bad as" that flu. But we are much more capable of isolating and combating things today.
Anyway, I'm too busy panicking over the evil termites from New Orleans being shipped around the country in mulch :->
Further proof. Your own statement contradicts your own conclusion in this matter.
Today we have countless more high-speed vectors for communicating the disease than there were in 1918. Cars. Busses. And especially passenger jets. Jumboized. And globalism has a whole passel of them going to and from the infected countries....right into the heart of the West.
Just curious. Did you read the entire article? Osterholm addresses this. If so, what precisely do you disagree with?
BTW, I hadn't heard that about the NO termites, but I'm not surprised.
"In 1918, when we had NONE of the technilogical capabilities of today, had NO ability to communicate, had no real ability to transport goods and services, we lost 40 million people in the world to a flu.
This flu could be "as bad as" that flu. But we are much more capable of isolating and combating things today."
Seriously wrong on both issues. Look at it in a different manner. In 1918 the flu had a mortality rate of about 3-5%. It killed 5% of the total world population. That is 325 MILLION today. If the Flue is more virulent, the number gets bigger. If the USA had identical casualty rates as 1918, we lose over 2 million dead, all in about 6 months, or 4 times our losses in WWII.
AS to your second point, we face a greater problem today. First, the disease can get from China to NY in a day...it used to take weeks. Next, we are vastly less self sufficient either as a country or as individuals. In 1918 people could fort up for weeks in much of the country. How many can today? How much food do you have on hand? How long would it last with no electricity? How about no water? What if the government sets martial law in effected areas and quarantines everyone to their homes? What about prescription drugs? Are you set for a few months? Most folk are not. How about money? How long can you survive without any new money coming in?
No, worse case has most of the country sick at the same time, 10% or so dying of the disease, everyone ordered under threat of being shot, to stay home, and most basic services out of order for a couple of months or so.
Those who make it through that will be more prepared than they are for a weekend blizzard. The rest will be in denial.
panic is foolish....preparation to some level is smart.
Have you ever been in a super market in New England when a snow storm is approaching? It is not pretty. Now imagine ALL the supermarkets all at once over a few days....