<Such a recombinant, capable of infecting 1/4 of the world's population and killing 70% of those infected, would kill over 1 BILLION, not the 2-7 million cited by WHO.>
Henry, I think people would react very strongly when the first million have died and the vectors of transmission would be cut dramatically.
People would stay at least 10 metres away from anybody else, wear masks, move to rural areas, conduct business by telephone.
Air travel, buses, trains, restaurants, movie theatres, malls, rock concerts and other crowded places would be abandoned.
The disease would need to grow wings to get from one person to another. Anyone with the slightest sniffle would be sprayed from helicopters and Bradley fighting vehicles with anti-viral toxins and locked in a box until they stop sniffling - as seen by remote camera and sound.
Vaccines would be developed and in a couple of years, the panic would be over. There would be quite a ding in Earth's GDP. Lots of businesses would close. Bankruptcies galore would clog the courts for years.
Mqurice |
