DR TIM ALLISON: What can we do to prepare for the next pandemic?

It is just under five years since the first Covid lockdown started.

There has been remembrance and reflection in recognition of those who died during the pandemic, those whose lives were changed and those who worked and put themselves at risk during the pandemic.

Enquiries continue into the events of that time and people still grieve for the deaths of friends and family. Long Covid remains a significant cause of disability. It is important that we remember what happened during the pandemic and those whose lives were changed by it.

We should also consider what lessons we can learn for the future and how we can be best prepared for another pandemic or national emergency.

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Recent world events have shown us that change can happen quickly, and our assumptions can be overturned. Future pandemics are sadly inevitable, however much we work on prevention, and we cannot be sure what form the next pandemic will take or what virus will be responsible.

Influenza will come top of the list for a likely future pandemic cause. The influenza virus keeps changing slightly each year meaning that the immunity we get from an infection or vaccination one year will give a bit less protection from the virus the following year. However, the influenza virus sometimes has a sudden large change, and this new type of virus can spread widely.

This happened in 1919 with what is sometimes called Spanish ‘Flu. Many modern methods for prevention and treatment were not available and people were debilitated from years of war.

We know that another Influenza pandemic will happen at some time, but other viruses can change and spread too, and we should remember that the Covid pandemic largely came out of the blue.

So, what can we do? There is planning at a national and regional level, and this must build on the lessons from Covid, but what can we do individually?

We cannot know what unexpected events will happen in the future, but this is not a counsel of despair. There are ways in which we can be more prepared and more resilient in general to protect ourselves against future shocks.

Keeping up to date with vaccination will help and the seasonal ‘flu vaccine should offer some protection against a new pandemic influenza virus.

Pandemics are most likely to come from respiratory viruses, so it is important to look after the health of our lungs, keeping fit and quitting smoking.

Pandemics are also most likely to affect the vulnerable in society, the very young, very old and those with less well functioning immune systems.

We need to keep up our connections and keep in regular contact if we are in one of these groups or with family friends or neighbours who may be in these groups.

There were great examples of people in communities helping each other during Covid and we must not lose this.

Keeping prepared for a potential future pandemic will not only help in the future but will also help our general health and wellbeing now.

Dr Tim Allison is NHS Highland’s director of public health and policy.

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