Humanity would be virtually powerless to stop the spread of a killer flu virus that could take 33 million lives in just 200 days, experts have warned. Professor Robert Dingwall, a flu expert, said that covering your mouth when you sneeze and washing your hands are the most effective ways to stop the virus spreading - but even these measures are unlikely to be enough.
His warning comes after Dr Jonathan Quick, Chair of the Global Health Council, warned that a deadly flu mutation could take place any day and prove to be the deadliest pandemic in human history. 'People tried in 2009 with screening at airports but it doesn't work because people are infectious for around four days before they get symptoms.
'There is a very limited amount you can do, there's personal hygiene measures, washing your hands and trying to avoid putting your hands on contaminated surfaces in public then in your mouth.
'But frankly, you're just as likely to catch it from passing a person in the street who's sneezed.' 'The big one is coming: a global virus pandemic that could kill 33 million victims in its first 200 days,' he wrote on Tuesday.
'Within the ensuing two years, more than 300 million people could perish worldwide.
'At the extreme, with disrupted supply of food and medicines and without enough survivors to run computer or energy systems, the global economy would collapse. Starvation and looting could lay waste to parts of the world.' <!-- Global site tag (gtag.js) - Google Analytics -->
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