Pandemic Explained Part Two - Spread

Spread

In a pandemic/epidemic scenario the spread of pathogens will be given paramount importance by the authorities. A globalised world has increased the chance of epidemics becoming pandemics greatly, infected individuals can catch a plane anywhere. Open borders between major land locked states such as the EU also makes transmission (the spread of disease) more likely.

Virus

How fast a pathogen spreads is mainly determined by these two factors...

Incubation Period

This is how long it takes for the pathogen to become 'active' it may take a few weeks for it to become infective. Sometimes this can be influenced by how well infected people can fight the disease.

Although the above points sound bad enough, but consider that everyone has a different incubation clock. Every time someone is infected a new clock starts, you also have the infective clock as well.

Infective Period

This is the period were pathogens are transmitted, via vectors. Vectors can be anything from dust particles to dead bodies, they carry the pathogen within or on them. A pathogen may spread by non living or living vectors. Hope that a pathogen doesn't spread by both.

Longer infective periods will result in more spread and higher death rates.