What would a pandemic look like now? Part 4 of "Pandemic in Seattle”

It’s been a hundred years since the 1918 influenza pandemic. The possibility of a severe influenza pandemic remains, but what would it look like now? We present the conclusion of a 4-part comic strip commemorating the centennial of the 1918 influenza pandemic.

By Meredith Li-Vollmer

Public Health - Seattle and King County

Public Health – Seattle and King County – in collaboration with many other local, state, and federal partners – maintains robust plans in the event that a new influenza virus emerges in human populations and results in a pandemic. 

Some influenza pandemics involve a less severe strain of the flu (such as H1N1), but a more virulent strain would create a major public health emergency. 

Healthcare providers, businesses, schools, and individuals can plan for what they would do if large numbers of people became ill in our community, such as how they would make sure work would continue if many employees are sick. 

This planning also helps you be ready for other kinds of disasters, such as severe weather and earthquakes.

More information on what Public Health is doing and what you can do to be ready for any hazard: HERE

Part One: Seattle a Century Ago – Backdrop for a Pandemic

Part Two: Seattle Faces a Pandemic

Part Three: A City Mourns and Moves On