>> Smallpox never became non pandemic on its own <<
On the contrary, I think it did grow weaker. It developed a strain called “cow pox” — which then became the basis for the earliest vaccinations.
>> We have no idea if this will either. <<
Sure. You’re right, insofar as we can’t make an exact prediction.
But you can say the same about ANY possible threat. All we can go on are the probabilities, which tell us that most viruses eventually weaken.
>> even a 30% mortality rate and airborne would be a herd thinner fur sure <<
In Africa? No doubt about it.
But in the USA? Just won’t happen, in my opinion, because of our modern means of sanitation, public health monitoring & controls, good hospitals, good docs and so forth.
(Remember a few years ago when West Nile disease first hit our shores? The news media were full of apocalyptic predictions about the looming death rates. But like so many other diseases, West Nile just faded into the background. It’s still there, but simply not a major threat.)
“On the contrary, I think it did grow weaker. It developed a strain called “cow pox” — which then became the basis for the earliest vaccinations.”
Which explains why millions continued to die of smallpox right up to the 1970’s...