PANDEMIC

1. Both epidemics and pandemics are words that are used to describe the widespread of diseases.
What is an Epidemic?
An Epidemic is generally defined as the process of rapidly spreading of infectious diseases within a short period of
time into a large number of people in a given population and spread over to several countries or continent.
An Epidemic is derived from a Greek word which refers to upon or above people.
Bubonic plague, Cholera, Influenza, SAR Sand Smallpox, are some of the common examples of Epidemics.
What is Pandemic?
A pandemic is the worldwide spread of a new disease. A pandemic is a larger version of an epidemic. In other words,
when an epidemic goes out of control, it is known as a pandemic. If an epidemic covers many countries spreading
through continents, it is likely to be a pandemic. There are different types of pandemics.
HIV or AIDS is one of the best examples for the most destructive global pandemics in history.
The main causes of Epidemic and Pandemic are the pathogenic or harmful microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses
and other parasites that can spread, directly or indirectly, from one person to another through the air, water, and other
modes of transmissions.
Let us look at the differences between epidemic and pandemic given in a tabular column below to understand both
these terms in-depth.
Epidemic vs. Pandemic

2. Epidemic Pandemic
An epidemic is an outbreak of disease that affects many
in a population and begins to spread rapidly.
Pandemic is a larger epidemic. A pandemic covers
several countries or spreads from one continent to
another.
An outbreak of disease is considered an epidemic if it
affects a certain number of people within a short period
of time, typically within 2 weeks.
In pandemic outbreaks, the number of people
affected or killed doesn’t matter as much as the rate
of spread and how far it has spread.
One of the few examples of epidemic diseases is the
West African Ebola
A few examples of pandemic diseases are COVID-
19, HIV AIDS, Asian Influenza and Cholera
Phases ofPandemics:
The World Health Organization (WHO) provides an influenza pandemic alert system, with a scale ranging from Phase
1 (a low risk of a flu pandemic) to Phase 6 (a full-blown pandemic):
Phase 1: A virus in animals has caused no known infections in humans.
Phase 2: An animal flu virus has caused infection in humans.
Phase 3: Sporadic cases or small clusters of disease occur in humans. Human-to-human transmission, if any, is
insufficient to cause community-level outbreaks.
Phase 4: The risk for a pandemic is greatly increased but not certain.
Phase 5: Spread of disease between humans is occurring in more than one country of one WHO region.
Phase 6: Community-level outbreaks are in at least one additional country in a different WHO region from phase 5, a
global pandemic is under way.
COVID-19: Lessons for disaster management
The novel corona virus disease (COVID-19) crisis has significantly redefined the humanitarian emergency paradigm
and changed our understanding of disaster management in several ways.
First, the crisis is not limited by a geographic area or a cluster or physically defined areas in which the disaster
occurred — as in an earthquake, flood or cyclone.
Second, effects of the disaster are so microscopic and invisible that one can easily underestimate its virulence or
potency, as it happened in the early days of the pandemic. Earlier epidemics like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory
Syndrome) and those due to bird flu and Ebola had a relatively lower geographical influence, but the speed of
transmission and virulence of COVID-19 has posed an entirely new challenge.
Third, to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19, we have severely restricted the process of globalization, travel and
access, which we welcomed with wide open arms two decades earlier.
On the other hand, while human society worldwide is under severe stress due to lockdowns, we are witnessing an
altogether cleaner and more vibrant environment both in urban and rural habitats. Nonetheless, what began as a health
crisis has now quickly snowballed into an economic crisis, caused, ironically, by some of the very steps that were
taken by public authorities to prevent further spread! Little wonder then that several industrialized nations are still
struggling to contain the levels of infection and fatality rates in their populations.
In countries like India, we are seeing how high population densities, coupled with the impossibility of physical
distancing in small housing units, lack of running water and toilets, shortage of hygiene materials and personal
protective equipment can exacerbate infection rates in several clusters that then become hot spots or red zones for the
pandemic.

3. So how we can manage disasters in the future?
With the nature of disasters changing constantly, they can surprise us by their unpredictability and speed of onset,
despite our access to the most advanced and sophisticated information and early warning systems.
We have seen in recent disasters the inability to predict the incidence of mudslides or the amount of water to be held
or released in dams during heavy rains — whether in Mumbai, Kerala or Chennai in recent years. The ferocity of
volcanic discharges recently in the Philippines and New Zealand surprised many scientists and earthquakes continue
to surprise us with their relative unpredictability.
Will the water from melting glaciers or rising ocean levels suddenly assume more catastrophic dimensions or smaller
events like lightning incidents assume more alarming proportions in the coming days? The ability of disaster
management authorities to reasonably predict or anticipate would be put to test in the days to come.
One of the issues that came to the forefront in the COVID-19 crisis in India was the seeming inability of governments
to anticipate the impact of the suddenness of the lockdown on migrant labourers in various parts of the country. One
question that we need to ask is this: Did we respond fast enough?
The speed of response would need to be gauged not only how quickly we enforced physical distancing and lockdowns,
but also in the speed and reach of preventive messaging. Did we use the time during the lockdown to prepare the
government machinery, mobilising and training of health personnel, procuring testing kits, ventilators and personal
protective equipment?
The speed of response is often linked to the ability to procure materials in a timely and cost-effective manner in every
disaster. Notable among the countries that responded quickly have been Taiwan and Hong Kong which could
therefore contain the infection levels quickly.
There is also an urgent need to be “smart” in our responses. In the COVID-19 crisis, several governments took
calculated risks as part of their responses — for instance, Sweden chose not to impose physical restrictions on citizens;
others continued with a certain degree of economic activity with very limited restrictions on mobility.
While the jury is still out on the efficacy of each of these strategies in their specific contexts, the key learning is that
we should not lose sight of our strategic and tactical responses while implementing steps to mitigate the crisis.
In-Depth: Epidemic Diseases Act
Corona virus infection in India is continuously rising. The states are in a battle mode to control the spread of the virus.
There has been a lockdown across the country and all the events postponed.
 All states and Union Territories have been directed to invoke provisions of Section 2 of the Epidemic
Diseases Act, 1897, so that Health Ministry advisories are enforceable.
 The Epidemic Diseases Act consists of four sections and aims to provide for better prevention of the spread of
Dangerous Epidemic Diseases.
 It is routinely enforced across the country for dealing with the outbreak of diseases such as swine flu, dengue,
and cholera.
 The colonial-era Act empowers the state governments to take special measures and prescribe regulations in an
epidemic.
 It is a state act and not a central act.
Epidemic Diseases Act, 1897
 The Epidemic Diseases Act aims to provide for the better prevention of the spread of dangerous epidemic
diseases.
 Under the Act, temporary provisions or regulations can be made to be observed by the public to tackle or
prevent the outbreak of a disease.
 The Act contains four sections.

4. o Section 1: Describes the title and extent of the Act
 It extends to the whole of India.
o Section 2: Powers to take special measures
 It empowers the state governments to tackle special measures and formulate regulations to contain
the outbreak.
 The State may prescribe regulations for the inspection of persons traveling by railway or otherwise,
and the segregation, in hospital, temporary accommodation of persons suspected by the inspecting
officers to be infected.
 Section 2A of the Act empowers the central government to take steps to prevent the spread of an
epidemic.
 Health is a State subject, but by invoking Section 2 of the Epidemic Diseases Act, advisories and
directions of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will be enforceable.
 It allows the government to inspect any ship arriving or leaving any post and the power to detain
any person intending to sail or arriving in the country.
o Section 3: Penalty for Disobedience
 The penalties for disobeying any regulation or order made under the Act are according to section
188 of the Indian Penal Code (disobedience to order duly promulgated by a public servant).
o Section 4: Legal Protection to Implementing Officers:
 It gives legal protection to the implementing officers acting under the Act.
Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code
 Whoever knowing that, by an order promulgated by a public servant lawfully empowered to promulgate such
order, disobeys such direction, shall, if such disobedience causes or tends to cause obstruction, annoyance or
injury, or risk of obstruction, annoyance or injury, to any person lawfully employed,
 be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to one month or with fine
which may extend to two hundred rupees, or with both;
 And if such disobedience causes or trends to cause danger to human life, health or safety,or causes or tends to
cause a riot or affray, shall
 be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to six months, or
with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, or with both.
Background
 The Epidemic Diseases Bill was tabled on January 28, 1897, during an outbreak of bubonic plague in
Mumbai (then Bombay).
 The existing laws were deemed insufficient to deal with various matters such as “overcrowded houses,
neglected latrines and huts, accumulations of filth, insanitary cowsheds and stables, and the disposal of house
refuse.
 The Bill called for special powers for governments of Indian provinces and local bodies, including to check
passengers off trains and sea routes.
Amendment to the Act
 Recently, the Cabinet amended the Act through an ordinance stating that commission or abetment of acts
of violence against healthcare service personnel shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of three
months to five years, and with fine of Rs 50,000 to Rs 2 lakh.
 In case of causing grievous hurt, imprisonment shall be for a term of six months to seven years and a fine of
Rs1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.
Enforcement of the Act in the Recent Past
 It is not the first time that this Act has been invoked in India.
 In 2009, to tackle the swine flu outbreak in Pune, Section 2 powers were used to open screening centers in
civic hospitals across the city, and swine flu was declared a notifiable disease.

5.  In 2015 to deal with Malaria and Dengue in Chandigarh the Act was implemented and collecting officers were
instructed to issue challans of Rs 500 to offenders.
 In 2018 the District Collector of Vadodara issued a notification under the Act, declaring Khedkarmsiya village
as Cholera affected after 31 persons complained of the disease.
Epidemics Worldwide
 An epidemic is the rapid spread of disease to a large number of people in a given population within a short
period of time. Throughout history, there have been a number of epidemics having a lasting impact on
societies.
 These are highly communicable diseases that spread through the population in a very short time.
 These diseases can be viral, bacterial or other health events like obesity.
Plague of Justinian
 It is one of the oldest recorded incidents of plague in history.
 It afflicted the Byzantine Empire, and especially its capital, Constantinople, between 541-542 A.D.
 It recorded the highest number of lives lost in an epidemic in human history with over 100 million people
dying, nearly half of the world’s population then.
Black Plague
 The Black Death, also known as the Pestilence and the Plague, was one of the most fatal pandemics.
 It mostly affected Europe in 1346-1350 A.D.
 Up to 50 million people died in Eurasia and North Africa from the plague that began in Asia and was carried
across the world by rats covered with infected fleas.
 It killed 60% of Europe’s population
HIV AIDS
 The longest-lasting epidemic to date is HIV AIDS which began in 1960 and is still prevalent.
 The world became aware of this epidemic only in the 1980s.
 Medicine for the treatment of HIV AIDS was not available until 1987.
 The Virus is particularly aggressive in Sub-Saharan Africa with 69% of the global infections. Major reasons
for the spread being poor economic conditions and little or no sex education.
Other Major Epidemics
 Spanish Flu of 1918 claimed 20 million lives.
 Modern Plague (1894-1903) claimed 10 million lives.
 Asian flu (1957-1958) resulted in the death of 2 million people.
 The 6th
Cholera pandemic (1899-1923) resulted in the deaths of 1.5 million people.
 The Russian flu (1889-1890) killed 1 million people.
 The Hong Kong Flu (1968-1969) killed 1 million people.
Steps Taken
Indian Response
 Twenty-one Italian tourists and three Indian tour operators were sent to an ITBP quarantine facility in Delhi
after being air-lifted from Wuhan, China for suspected corona virus exposure.
 The batch of 112 evacuees, who were quarantined at the Indo-Tibetan Border Police's Chhawla
Quarantine Facility in New Delhi, tested negative in a corona virus test.
 Video Conference of SAARC Leaders: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for a virtual leadership
summit through the video meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
 The video conference led to the creation of the SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund based on a
voluntary contribution from all SAARC members.

6.  Further, $10 million has been extended by India as a contribution to the fund.
Global Response
 The COVID-19 outbreak was declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern by the WHO on
30th
January 2020.
 According to recommendations by the World Health Organization, the diagnosis of COVID-19 must be
confirmed by the Real Time- Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCRT-PCR) or gene sequencing for respiratory or
blood specimens, as the key indicator for hospitalisation.
 $15 million dollars has been released from the UN’s Central Emergency Fund to help fund global efforts to
contain the spread of the COVID-19 corona virus, particularly vulnerable countries with weak health care
systems.
 Vaccines are being developed.