Читать книгу Disaster Response and Recovery - David A. McEntire - Страница 35

Biological hazards are agents that spread disease or are otherwise harmful to life. Such hazards pose a grave threat to humankind, and millions of people have died by coming in contact with them. Biological hazards may be broken down into two categories: pathogens and toxins. Pathogens are organisms that spread disease and may include anthrax, smallpox, plague, hemorrhagic fever and rickettsia. Toxins are poisons created by plants and animals. Ricin and botulism are examples of such toxins. This category of biological hazards is not likely to kill many people at a time. However, pathogens are far more devastating. For instance, the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic killed more people in the United States than had died in combat in World War I. These disease epidemics are especially problematic when people are malnourished due to famines. Biological hazards have become a major concern due to outbreaks in the past decade and as a result of Covid‐19.

In recent decades, there have been growing agricultural and public health concerns related to hantavirus, hoof and mouth disease, SARS, and West Nile virus. The avian “bird” flu has also been a serious concern in Asia, Europe, and Africa. These biological hazards have created many worries for farmers and public health officials, particularly in light of our agricultural commerce, highly transient populations and the ease of modern travel around the world. Some of these biological hazards can be particularly deadly and disruptive.

At the conclusion of 2013, a major Ebola outbreak occurred in Guinea and Liberia. The disease spread rapidly in Africa and killed over 11,000 people on that continent. A man named Thomas Duncan unknowingly brought the disease to the United States from Liberia in 2014. He sadly could not survive the virus, and the agent spread to others (mainly in Texas). Fortunately, the spread was contained without any further fatalities in this nation. But even when death does not occur, biological hazards can pose shocking problems. Starting in July 2016, the Zika virus appeared in Florida. It spread through vectors (mosquitos). Although the disease is generally mild, it may produce serious complications for developing fetuses when women are infected. It is estimated that over 3,700 birth defects (e.g., microcephaly, eye abnormalities, and developmental disabilities) were attributed to Zika.

The worst biological hazard in recent history is Covid‐19. The severe respiratory virus named Covid‐19 was discovered in Wuhan City, China, toward the end of December 2019. While the exact source is debated (wet market vs. biological lab), Covid‐19 soon became a major concern in China and around the world. Common symptoms of Covid‐19 are similar to the flu and include fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle aches, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, diarrhea, and vomiting. The virus may also impact smell and taste, and it can lead to other very serious respiratory complications. Because Covid‐19 is highly infectious and deadly, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic in March 2020. President Trump instituted a proactive travel ban against passengers from China, but the disease quickly spread throughout the United States anyway. Dr. Anthony Fauci (the Director of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases) and other medical personnel and spokespersons were initially unclear about the threat and the importance of wearing masks. Even after the risk was recognized and conveyed, President Trump was vague about the need to wear masks and he seemed to actively oppose them at times too. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and ventilators were initially in short supply during the Covid‐19 pandemic, and public health and medical personal were overwhelmed with needy patients. These are a few of the many reasons why 45.4 million Americans have been infected and over 736,000 people have died in the United States (at the time of this writing). Much more clearly needs to be done to prepare for these types of biological hazards.

Source: U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, https://phil.cdc.gov/default.aspx

Covid‐19 required a massive mobilization of antiviral medications such as Remdesivir for Covid‐19 patients in Texas hospitals. Julie Joseph/FEMA.

https://www.fema.gov/news‐release/20200522/photos‐whole‐america‐covid‐19‐response