Damn technology, the development of vaccines and refrigeration has all but ruined pandemics.

Look at the 1918–1920 flu pandemic (started in the US, but marketed as the Spanish Flu) killing 20-100 million people. Even though there are now billions more of us and travelling to the other side of the planet takes less than a day rather than weeks, the last flu pandemic killed less than half a million people.

Even new novel viruses can be quickly studied and new vaccines rolled out in months. These vaccines can be delivered via a distribution cold chain all over the globe.

I’ve recently (7 weeks ago, overnight) lost hearing in one ear, making speech discrimination in noise, think open plan offices, band practices or cooking with my kids, impossible. Yet just a few weeks later, rather than walking round with an ear trumpet constantly asking pardon, I’ve a digital sound processor tucked in my ear that has now enabled me to rejoin my normal life (and has allowed me to gain a few additional superpowers).