![]() The cycle of population growth, pandemic, and recovery isn’t nearly as violent as it has been in the past, but it’s still with us.įor most of the time civilization has existed, pestilence has wiped out far more lives than famine and violence combined-so much so that Malthus’s proposed final limit of land and resources as the check to human numbers has rarely been approached. Covid-19 is a terrible reminder that our victory against infection is far from complete-and in all likelihood never will be complete. Rather, they were felled by a range of infectious diseases that picked off the young or swept through whole populations in pandemic catastrophe. That is evidence of humanity’s greatest triumph: until recent decades, most people didn’t live long enough to die of heart failure. The two leading killers worldwide at the start of the twenty-first century are heart attacks and strokes. Join the Forum Network for free using your email or social media accounts to share your own stories, ideas and expertise in the comments. Aiming to foster the fruitful exchange of expertise and perspectives across fields to help us rise to this critical challenge, opinions expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the OECD. ![]() This extract from The Plague Cycle: The Unending War between Humanity and Infectious Disease by Charles Kenny (Published by Simon & Schuster, Inc., 2021), is part of a series in which OECD experts and thought leaders - from around the world and all parts of society - address the COVID-19 crisis, discussing and developing solutions now and for the future. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |