• Question: Will a virus eventually kill the worlds population?

    Asked by Chaucer_jnr to Ceri, Marikka, Matt, Rob, Sally on 14 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Sally Cutler

      Sally Cutler answered on 14 Nov 2014:


      I really cannot predict the future. I think it is more likely humans will do this (maybe indirectly).

    • Photo: Matt Bilton

      Matt Bilton answered on 14 Nov 2014:


      This happens in the movies all the time! Certainly, viruses can be dangerous. The Spanish flu of 1918 killed more people than died in the whole of the first world war! This is why we’re so often worried about new strains of flu – they can cause worldwide devastation.

      One reason flu is so dangerous is how it’s spread – through the air in droplets released when we sneeze. Could the same thing as happened in 1918 happen again? Perhaps! We live in a global society with people travelling everywhere. A new flu strain that was as bad as the one in 1918 would be difficult to contain and could kill lots of people. But it is not likely to kill everyone. In fact, an estimate of number of people that could die in the UK from a flu outbreak, like the one in 1918, is about 1% of the population. Could there be a different virus that kills lots of people? Possibly! But no I don’t think it would kill the whole world.

      Maybe these are famous last words.

    • Photo: Ceri Dare

      Ceri Dare answered on 15 Nov 2014:


      It is definitely possible for a virus to kill a large percentage of the population – smallpox killed up to 90% of some Native American communities.

      But even if not many people are killed directly by the virus, then the effects of everyone panicking and society breaking down could be very bad too – if delivery drivers stopped going to supermarkets, they would run out of food in a day or two. Lack of preparedness will probably kill more people than a virus directly.

      You can find out about planning for emergencies in the area where you live here: https://www.gov.uk/local-planning-emergency-major-incident

    • Photo: Robert Hampson

      Robert Hampson answered on 18 Nov 2014:


      Viruses can be very dangerous, especially in communities that have not been exposed to them before. However, I cannot tell you what the future holds. It is possible I suppose, but so are many other scenarios,

      The last book of the Bible is a book called Revelation which talks about the end of the world. There are four horsemen who symbolise the different aspects of the world ending. They are called the four horsemen of the apocalypse. They are popularly linked to War, Pestilence (Disease), Famine, and Death. All of these are realistic causes for the end of the world, I suppose if they all turn up at the same time, the end of the world is more likely…

    • Photo: Marikka Beecroft

      Marikka Beecroft answered on 19 Nov 2014:


      Viruses are definitely dangerous and like Matt said there’s reasons why the governments are afraid of new flu viruses! I think it may be possible.

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