Pandemic Risk

A Pandemic Risk is a global health risk that is a catastrophic risk involving infectious disease spread across multiple continents.

• AKA: Global Pandemic Risk, Disease Pandemic Risk, Epidemic Risk.
• Context:
  • It can typically threaten Global Well-Being Improvement Processes through health system overwhelm.
  • It can typically require international cooperation for disease containment.
  • It can often generate Fatalism Attitudes about public health measures.
  • It can often parallel Nuclear War Risk in mortality potential.
  • It can range from being a Low Pandemic Risk to being a High Pandemic Risk, depending on its transmission rate.
  • It can range from being a Natural Pandemic Risk to being a Engineered Pandemic Risk, depending on its pathogen origin.
  • It can range from being a Slow Pandemic Risk to being a Rapid Pandemic Risk, depending on its spread velocity.
  • It can range from being a Treatable Pandemic Risk to being a Untreatable Pandemic Risk, depending on its medical countermeasures.
  • ...
• Examples:
  • Historical Pandemic Risks, such as:
    • Influenza Pandemic Risk like 1918 Spanish Flu.
    • Plague Pandemic Risk from bacterial infection.
  • Contemporary Pandemic Risks, such as:
    • Coronavirus Pandemic Risk including COVID-19.
    • Antimicrobial Resistance Risk from drug-resistant pathogens.
  • Future Pandemic Risks, such as:
    • Engineered Pathogen Risk from synthetic biology.
    • Zoonotic Spillover Risk from animal reservoirs.
  • ...
• Counter-Examples:
  • Endemic Disease Risk, which maintains stable prevalence.
  • Local Outbreak Risk, which remains geographically contained.
  • Seasonal Infection Risk, which follows predictable patterns.
• See: Catastrophic Risk, Nuclear War Risk, Climate Change Problem, Global Well-Being Improvement Process, Public Health System, Disease Surveillance, AI Existential Risk.

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