Pandemic of Yesterday Meets Pandemic of Today

Today's New York Times headline article (and the lead piece on last night's NBC News) on the reconstruction of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic is frightening, yet also heartening. With the confirmation of what many had suspected – that what has been referred to as the most devastating epidemic in recorded history was in fact "a bird flu that jumped directly to humans" – we have put a real face on the pandemic that we are facing. That epidemic, known as the “Spanish Flu,” killed between 25 and 50 million people worldwide (exact numbers were never known as some estimates were as high as 100 million). Remember, this occurred at a time when world travel was nowhere near as simple and prevalent as it is today (although WWI did help to spread that virus and give us a glimpse of what we face now). On the plus side, our ability to counter a virus of this magnitude has greatly improved – but our response to the threat and our cynicism may not have.

While those of us warning about the growing threat no longer seem like “Chicken Little,” all too many of us still expect that governments will do something on their own to stop this... Don’t wait, please join the battle (One Intent’s 20 x 10,000 Campaign), and help us help the world be better prepared to protect itself. We can make a difference.

– Amitav Dash, Managing Director, d2 Group (Flu Preparedness Team)