Assessing the Severity of an Influenza Pandemic as of May 12, 2009
An influenza pandemic is caused by a virus that is either entirely new or has not circulated recently and widely in the human population, creating an almost universal vulnerability to infection. Although not all people ever become infected during a pandemic, nearly all people are susceptible to infection. How contagious the virus is also influences the severity of a pandemic’s impact, as it can increase the number of people falling ill and needing care within […]