‘Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak’

The documentary series ‘Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak’ has drawn widespread attention in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis that has shaken the world. It offers a detailed narrative entailing the chops necessary and the challenges to expect when fighting a pandemic.

Striking most as an eerie presage into what could prove to be the Achilles’ heel of the world economy, the six-episode docuseries follows heroines based in different geographical settings such as the populous New York City and Jaipur, India.

The compassionate teams of doctors and nurses are shown fighting flu and influenza cases inflicted on various patients. It features personal stories of healthcare workers who died because of their efforts to treat Ebola virus victims in Africa. The production is undeniably moving through its conveyance of the innate sentimentalism within the doctors and nurses. Scientists are also shown to possess the same tenacity to combat a threat to the lives of millions around the world.

There are reported to be approximately one billion influenza infections worldwide each year, with up to 45 million cases in the United States annually, tens of thousands of US deaths, and 291 000 to 646 000 deaths worldwide. References to Ebola and the bird flu are mentioned in the show to give people a sense of what kind of measures were taken to resolve the crisis.

The most notable thing about the series is the blunt assertion of a virus outbreak in the near future and our questionable preparedness, especially in light of the state of New York cutting nearly US$400 million from the hospital budget.

Although shot in 2019, Dr Syra Madad is seen in the show attempting to mobilise the New York City hospital system for this foreseen pandemic, amid budget cuts from the state. Cutting the budget for hospitals was on the table long before Covid-19, despite doctors and professionals warning the state.

Ultimately, her efforts to get the state prepared did not make a substantial impact. New York sits with the highest infection rate in the United States with over 138 000 cases confirmed and over 5 500 deaths.

Misinformation on pandemics is a hot discussion. In the ‘Global Influenza Program, Essential steps for developing or updating a national pandemic influenza preparedness plan’ published by the World Health Organisation, under the preparation phase it is stipulated that a workplan with budget must be developed. The healthcare budget cuts in the US make it difficult to actualise the idea.

Most of the world is currently on lockdown until mid-April. President Donald Trump hoped to have Americans back to work by 12 April in order to minimise the impact on the economy. Government officials and health experts have criticised this notion, warning that bringing people back to work will overwhelm the healthcare system and lead to more deaths. Bill Gates called this April plan absurd in an interview with Anderson Cooper on CNN. Gates commented: “Only until the numbers have peaked can we begin to predict a phase out.”

At present, African countries report the lowest infection and death rates from Covid-19. The predictions made in the show about Africa have proven to be overestimated. What is however factual is Africa’s lack of medical infrastructure to treat cases in an exponential rise.

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