Pandemic is the term used for an infectious disease outbreak that affects most of the world’s population. Throughout history, there have been many different pandemics of diseases such as smallpox, the Black Death (plague), and the 1918 influenza pandemic. In addition, the AIDS pandemic and the 2009 swine flu pandemic are examples of recent pandemics. Almost all of these diseases continue to circulate among humans though their impact is generally less than in the past.
The global community is working to reduce the risk of future pandemics through vaccination, surveillance, and preparedness planning. Despite these efforts, the risk of pandemics will remain high for some time to come. This is due to a combination of factors including:
Increasing environmental and demographic trends could also increase the severity of future outbreaks. These include the persistence of slums, poor sanitation, and low vaccination coverage in some populations. Moreover, increasing levels of antibiotic resistance could amplify deaths during outbreaks of bacterial diseases such as tuberculosis and cholera.
As we approach the five-year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new Pew Research Center survey explores Americans’ assessments of how well the country did in responding to the pandemic. Eight-in-ten Democrats and independents who lean Democratic say the nation did an excellent or good job in responding to the pandemic, while fewer Republicans agree with this assessment. The survey also finds that the COVID-19 pandemic brought out the differences in the values and priorities of America’s two main political parties.
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