RESPIRATORY VIRUS WITH PANDEMIC POTENTIAL

Overview

A respiratory virus with pandemic potential is a highly contagious respiratory virus that spreads easily from person to person and for which there is little human immunity. This hazard includes pandemic influenza. This hazard strains the healthcare system, requires school closures, causes high rates of illness and absenteeism that undermine critical infrastructure across the city, and decreases community trust due to social distancing measures interfering with personal movement and being perceived as being ineffectual. Previous events that exemplify this hazard include the 1918 (“Spanish flu”) and 2009 (“Swine flu”) influenza pandemics and the 2003 SARS outbreak, which had pandemic potential.

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Respiratory  Virus with Pandemic Potential – Bibliography