China coronavirus outbreak means the world is once again gripped by the six-year pandemic panic syndrome

Every six years, the outbreak of a disease sends the world into a frenzy. But we face much greater daily risks from seasonal flu, being hit by a bus, or being murdered – and the greatest pandemic cost will be economic

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A woman with a face mask walks through a shop decorated for the Lunar New Year in Bangkok on January 24, after five people were detected with the coronavirus in Thailand. Photo: AFP

Published: 3:00am, 27 Jan 2020Updated: 3:00am, 27 Jan 2020

As the world wrings its hands over the emergence of a new pandemic threat from Wuhan in China, I am reminded of the last time I addressed the subject – in 2015, during the outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (Mers) – and of my discovery then of what I like to call the six-year pandemic panic syndrome.

Almost six years ago, I was writing about Mers. Six years before that, there was panic over swine flu (H1N1) and, six years earlier, I was observing hysteria over severe acute respiratory syndrome. Six years before Sars, we had graphic photos of mountains of chickens being disposed of in efforts to snuff out avian flu.

I know I should not make light of something as awful as a global pandemic – especially since I only recently stumbled upon, and disposed of, the large stock of Tamiflu pills that I panic-bought in 2003. But it really does take a good pandemic panic to remind us of how badly we judge the life-threatening risks around us.

The new can be dangerous and it is rash to be dismissive of the outbreak too early. We have not even reached the point at which the coronavirus has been given a decent name – 2019-nCoV must surely soon be replaced by something with a ring to it. What about Wuhan Wild Animal Market Syndrome (WWAMS)?

Already, there is both bad and good news. The bad news is that almost certainly in the next 20 years or so, we are likely to be affected by a pandemic that does serious harm to many of us around the world. A true global pandemic is likely to kill millions – maybe hundreds of millions.

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