Splaine: Is Portsmouth prepared for the next pandemic?

Portsmouth, May 17, 2038: Thousands of tourists will arrive in a few days for Memorial Day weekend. Even now, York and Hampton beaches are crowded on hot sunny days. Portsmouth's two outdoor pools have opened and have lifeguards.

The economy is booming, and several corporate meetings are underway at the city's three conference centers, bringing national and international business leaders. The just-completed Portsmouth train station near the Foundry Place Garage has hourly arrivals from Boston and Portland.

Democracy Center Greens at McIntyre has scheduled weekly outdoor events and Prescott Park concerts are starting up. Most downtown sidewalk restaurant tables are reserved day and night.

But there may be problems on the horizon. Since the first of May, the CDC and World Health Organization have been tracking a new fast-spreading virus. News reports indicate that once infected, people of all ages and physical conditions get very sick within days, with hundreds of deaths already recorded nationwide. Area hospitals are filling up, and some businesses have cut hours due to staffing losses.

All that could be part of a not-too-distant story. One thing we know for certain is that there will be another pandemic. Are we prepared? What would we do? What should we do?

The history of past pandemics teaches us what we can expect in our future. The "Black Death" bubonic plague hit much of Europe during the Middle Ages, and millions died. Smallpox and Cholera pandemics killed many others.

The Spanish Flu of 1918 infected about a third of the world's population, killing upwards of 50 million, often within hours of symptoms.

Unlike in years long past, today's world is interconnected. The Portsmouth area is part of that connection, with water ports, an airport that in coming years will be more used, and a road network that is likely to become a larger transportation hub as we grow and develop.

What COVID-19 2020 has taught us is that we weren't prepared this time for what it brought. For weeks after people began getting sick two years ago, masks had to be made by volunteers because stores didn't stock them. A vaccine was months away.

So, what about next time? We've learned the economic devastation that shutdowns can cause. We don't want to do that again. Nor do we want to close schools. How do we prevent those approaches from being a solution next time?

Let's fund medical science. In recent years, CDC and health care departments in many states had budgets cut. We have to invest in health care, prevention, and pandemic research in our medical universities.

Let's expand education about science and medicine for our students and adults. More civic education can help too, so we can learn our obligations to each other in our community and how we can work together to address future pandemics. "It takes a village" isn't just a slogan.

Let's create health teams in every state, city and town, and those teams have to be inclusive of medical professionals and citizens to get a "buy-in" from all of us. The health teams can plan what equipment and medicines need to be stockpiled locally instead of relying on the federal government, which may take months to properly respond.

Let's communicate better. Misinformation flows from lack of facts. Medical professionals have to be clear in their advice from the start.

Stopping a virus is like fighting a fire. If action is taken to quickly get to the base of the fire it can be put out. We need a "we're all in this together" attitude, because we are.

World history tells us that another pandemic will come. Perhaps one that is made in a lab, perhaps one that has its origins in nature. It may be worse than any we have ever faced. It may kill quickly. How we prepare for it will decide how we beat it.

Today's Quote: “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail." - attributed to Benjamin Franklin

Next Time: Statey, Micro-Housing that Makes Sense.

Jim Splaine returns to his Seacoastonline column after years of absence while he was in elected office. Variously since 1969 he has been Portsmouth assistant mayor, Police Commissioner, and School Board member, as well as N.H. state senator and representative. He can be reached at jimsplaineportsmouth@gmail.com

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Splaine: Is Portsmouth prepared for the next pandemic?