Our struggle with epidemics of infectious disease

Critically we need to learn that epidemics and pandemics have an important human dimension and are as much psycho-social events as they are epidemiological ones. Unfortunately Governments have not always recognised this.

A critical factor which has been revealed every time we face an epidemic outbreak is the failure of Governments and medical authorities to recognise the dissonance that exists between how “experts” and ordinary people perceive risk, infection and contagion.

Risk to “experts” is a definable measurable phenomenon. For most of us, however, risk is not related to empirical evidence but more shaped by our personal attitudes and the way we view the world around us. It is primarily a social phenomenon, socially constructed and largely emotional and is influenced by the people around us.

There is little doubt that we all harbour deep-seated fears about contagion, exposure, infection and “outsiders” or “others”. As the Coronavirus is beginning to show, fear is an emotion that is highly contagious and we still do not appreciate the mechanisms of its transmission.

Governments also often seem to believe that a certain amount of fear can be a sort of “social vaccine”, something which encourages people to adopt responsible coping mechanisms, but they still fail to fully appreciate the role it plays.

And then we have the media who in a 24/7 world play an important part in how we view the infectious disease outbreak. The media’s desire to inform is often overwhelmed by the desire to present vivid and sensational imagery focussing on hidden risks, lurking dangers, fear, panic and possible disastrous outcomes.

Epidemics of infectious disease are a regular reminder of the insecurity of life and the ubiquitous presence of death and disease. Managing such epidemics requires a deft balancing act – of balancing the overall wellbeing of the community against the individuals’ rights and freedoms – an exceedingly difficult undertaking, even at the best of times because there is often a basic conflict between the two.

In times of epidemic crisis such as coronavirus this balance is almost impossible.