By definition, a pandemic is an epidemic of disease that has spread across a large region. Depending on the severity, it could spread to multiple continents and even worldwide if not contained quickly. An epidemic is sometimes confused with an endemic but there are differences with where they come from and how they spread. An endemic is a disease that exists and spread within a region or population. An example of this would be Malaria, which is a constant worry among people living in Africa. An epidemic, on the other hand, is an outbreak of disease that affects people at around the same time and spreads to other communities. There have been various pandemics throughout history but none is as notorious or as devastating as the Black Death. It's a form of bacteria present in fleas that spread across Eurasia through rodent carriers and infected millions of people. The pandemic spread from 1346 to 1353 and was estimated to have taken the lives of around 100 million people in its wake.

The modern world exists during a time when everyone is interconnected and traveling is one plane or ship ride away. It's because of this that concerns about the potential spread of disease are at an all-time high. Influenza has always been a high priority concern, with the lastest strain being H5N1 or Avian Flu. Wuhan coronavirus, a new novel coronavirus has recently been discovered in the Chinese province of Wuhan, hence the name. It is a virus that causes respiratory infection and has shown signs of human-to-human transmission. Diseases and pandemics have been all over the news lately and people are now wary of their safety. In fact, as if by chance, a new Netflix series documenting the fight against Influenza was recently released. It also explores the steps that scientists are taking to prevent the next global outbreak. The new docuseries is called Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak and you can check it out in the link below.