By Sameh Yamany & Paul Gowans, VIAVI Solutions
A flu pandemic swept the world from 1918 to 1920, infecting approximately a quarter of the world’s population and killing over 50 million. A century later, the world is again facing the reality of a viral pandemic. But things are different this time around: we have accumulated 100 years of health and technological advances that can fortify the fight against this pandemic. The invisible, hard-to-track, rapid transmission and replication of today’s virus a critical danger, and these characteristics have caused the world economic and social wheels to grind to a halt. Absent a broader toolkit against this virus, the default defense strategy is isolation with everyone going on lockdown within their homes. Fortunately, now there are mature technologies in the world’s arsenal that are being used to fight, in a smart way, the viral transmission and containment dilemma. These technologies are saving lives while enabling the gradual return to some social and economic normalcy. We will continue to embrace technology as the pandemic evolves, and to help with any future outbreaks.