Pandemic risk: How large are the expected losses?

(University of Hawaii at Manoa) Greater investment is needed to prepare against pandemics -- the worldwide spread of an infectious disease. A study published in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization shows the expected annual count of pandemic-related deaths is 700,000, and expected annual losses from pandemic risk is $500 billion. The paper applied a theoretical model to calculate the expected number of deaths and economic losses in rare pandemic scenarios.
Source: EurekAlert! - Infectious and Emerging Diseases - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: news