Katelyn Jetelina

And so...

I think that's an important distinction, too.

Um, I don't know if I'm feeling, I mean, as an epidemiologist, this is what, this is my job, right?

So like, it does increase my anxiety.

I don't think that means it needs to increase the anxiety of the general public right now, because there's really not much to do right now is the time to stop a pandemic.

And so that's why you're hearing from virologists and epidemiologists of like, but like the, I mean, any given year, the probability of a pandemic is about 2%.

because we always have spillovers and everything's happening with this H5N1 situation.

It's definitely increased it maybe to like 8% chance pandemic, like pandemic.

That's not, it's, it's small, but it's nothing like I wouldn't, I don't want another pandemic.

Right.

So like it's definitely something to keep an eye out on.

And there's a few markers of which will increase the,

are alarm bells as epidemiologists.

One is that it starts spreading among pigs.

Pigs are great mixing vessels, which these viruses can change very quickly.

You're right, if it becomes more severe among humans, or if we start seeing more and more mutations.

And then of course, if we start seeing human clusters.

We're just not that at all, you know, DEFCON 1 yet.

And I really hope we don't get there, but flu has always been nasty, right?

And if you asked epidemiologists before COVID what would cause the next pandemic, nine out of 10 of them, or maybe even 10 out of 10 of them would have said flu.