Risk Group identified Rise of Infectious Diseases, Pandemics, and Nation Preparedness as one of the top ten Strategic Security Risks facing humanity in the second edition of the Strategic Security Risk Report 2020.
Disclaimer: This document should not be legally construed as medical advice. Always do your own research and consult your doctor of trust.
Introduction
The global health system has come a long way to protecting and promoting human health. Despite that, we at the moment are on the verge of a pandemic, the large-scale 2019–20 Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) a global emergency. As a result, the potential for economic, social, and political turbulence is imminent. Reports are emerging of many nations with confirmed cases: China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Afghanistan, Algeria, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Egypt, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Nepal, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Russia, Sri Lanka, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Korea, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam.
As a result, nations are closing their border to contain the spread within and across their geographical boundaries. Many airlines have canceled their flights. Schools are closing. The fear of the looming healthcare threat to individual countries is setting in as a large number of people seem to be needing hospitalization not only in China but across nations. The supply chain shortage is emerging. Markets are panicking. The system seems to be not keeping up. While China tried to build more hospitals to keep up with the growing needs, nations, in general, seem to be struggling. As a result, the reality of pandemic preparedness is raising more questions than answers. It is, therefore, essential to understand and evaluate:
- Are nations prepared for any virus centered pandemic?
- Are nations ready for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) driven pandemic?
- Do nations have effective medicine and healthcare supplies to meet the emerging need?
- Are businesses prepared for the imminent disruption?
- Are individuals prepared for their individual and family safety?
COVID-19 Crisis
While a virus drives this ongoing COVID-19 crisis, pandemics can also be caused by bacteria and fungus as well. There is not much known about this COVID-19 virus. While the origin of the outbreak is well established, what is responsible for this outbreak is still not very clear.
This is no time to point fingers. The world needs to come together to learn what we can from this ongoing crisis and make sure that we prevent any such scenarios in the future.
COVID-19 Infection Mode
Covid-19 infection can be spread human to human through a simple cough or sneeze. This Coronavirus, (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) SARS-CoV-2, not only can infect humans but infects many other living species as well. This is an extremely contagious virus. It seems to have an incubation period between 2 and 4 weeks. It seems to be traveling through saliva and even water in the eyes. The symptoms are like flu: runny nose, sore throat, cough, and fever. It also leads to pneumonia and makes it difficult to breathe. With a death rate of 2%, this virus can end up killing millions of people and other living things. At this point, it cannot be cured and seems to be challenging to contain.
Preparing For COVID-19 Pandemic
Although there are some treatment options available for viral diseases, there is not much clarity on available options yet. There are no precise therapeutics agreed and approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a remedy to treat people with COVID-19. However, it seems the NIH clinical trial of Remdesivir to treat COVID-19 has begun. There are also reports emerging of potential vaccines. Gilead Sciences Inc. has developed Remdesivir, which is an investigational broad-spectrum antiviral treatment. Although Remdesivir trials are ongoing, there is not much data available yet to indicate whether it can improve clinical outcomes.
As a result, there is an urgent need for a safe, practical, affordable, and accessible treatment for COVID-19. While the lack of effective treatment options is a growing concern, there is perhaps a need to evaluate preventive wellness program options as we wait for therapeutic medicine options that can help overcome this crisis.
Moreover, since increased global travel and integration have increased the possibility of more pandemics, there is a need to evaluate what is necessary for national preparedness for a pandemic of any origin, class, mode, and intensity. In recent memory, we have witnessed the 2003 SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic, multiple Ebola outbreaks, and the 2015-16 Zika epidemic, to name just a few.
It is time nations embed preparedness and increased healthcare capacity into the systems – especially for the timely identification of disease, quarantine procedures, and communication and control protocols, to provide primary care to everyone. There is also a need for better preventive and therapeutic drugs. It is time to collectively focus on how to address the risks of emerging pandemics.
Nation Preparedness
The emerging COVID-19 pandemic and its global spread in a short amount of time is a growing concern as it affects nations’ communities and economies. Planning and preparation are essential to managing the security risks emerging from the pandemics at a national level. Nations need to start preparing for this pandemic and any other that can emerge in the future.
- National Continuity Plan: Nations should develop a national continuity plan.
- Pandemic Plan: Nations should put together a pandemic resource, response and recovery plan (quarantine, travel and movement restrictions, closure of businesses and institutions, the prohibition of mass gatherings, and more).
- Supply Chain: Where necessary, nations should secure alternative supply chains if the critical supplies are expected to be disrupted.
- Manufacturing: Nations should invest in additive manufacturing and 3D printing for critical national security needs.
- Biohazard Surveillance Systems: Nations should invest in biosensors and biohazard surveillance systems to quickly detect the emerging biosecurity threats and outbreak.
- Education: Nations should create an education and awareness plan and invest in free public training.
- Accountability: Nations should tie health insurance to wellness plans to increase accountability in human action and decisions.
- Security Protocols: Nations should ensure strict security protocols for biohazards and research laboratories.
- Security Risk Mapping: Nations should map science research, gene banks, biobanks, bioengineering, and synthetic biology initiatives for its associated security risks.
- Hospital Preparedness: Nations should enhance hospital and laboratory capacity, sanitization plan and prevention of cross-infection.
Personal Preparedness
Infections are invasions of microorganisms from outside the body where the human body’s perimeter defense fails. It can be a virus-like COVID-19, bacteria, fungus, yeast, parasite, or ameba. While most such infections are chronic, it is the infections like COVID-19 that are acute and where the entire human body gets involved in fighting off the invader.
However, the challenge with the human body’s coping mechanisms is that most humans are not healthy. They have weakened body chemistry, their immune systems are not healthy, their bodies have a higher level of toxicity, and their elimination organs are not working to full capacity. If the human host is healthy, the body can fight off the infection, kill or expel the pathogen, and no infection occurs. However, that is not the case seen in most individuals today, and that is because the human ecosystem is polluted, and the pollution has impacted human health, its biochemistry, and immune response. So, while we wait for effective treatment options, what can be done? Perhaps we should focus on the following to boost our bodies immune response and stop the spread of the virus:
- Nutrition: A healthy diet and nutrition help to fight the infection.
- Prebiotics and Probiotics. For the right digestive balance, prebiotics and probiotics help by providing good microflora that can fight off infections.
- Supplements: Many nutritional supplements are known to fight off infections.
- Infrared Sauna Therapy. It is well documented that infrared sauna improves circulation and boosts immune response.
- Meditation: It is well documented that reduced stress due to meditation helps fight off infections.
- Pranayam: A deep breathing exercise has been documented to help increase oxygen levels, boost the immune system, and fight off infections.
- Personal Hygiene and Cleanliness: Washing hands often and frequent use of hand sanitizer helps.
- Plenty of Rest and Sleep: It is well documented that rest and sleep helps boost the immune response
- Air Purifier (UV Light in Duct for Hvac Air): It is well documented that UV light duct germicidal filter can kill many germs in a building.
- UV light Mini Sanitizer Travel Wand: Any UV sanitizing light seems very useful for killing 99.9% of germs on surfaces. Disinfectant wipes are useful as well.
COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that seems to be spreading much like the flu. Follow CDC guidelines for more information on COVID-19 pandemic preparedness.
Please note, this pandemic preparedness document is a work in progress, and Risk Group will make future enhancements as more information becomes available. I hope this draft of preparedness guidelines gives you the insight to plan and protect your families, businesses, and nations.
Prepared by
Jayshree Pandya PhD
CEO Risk Group LLC
Risk Group identified Rise of Infectious Diseases, Pandemics, and Nation Preparedness as one of the top ten Strategic Security Risks facing humanity in the second edition of the Strategic Security Risk Report 2020.
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