A risk is the probability (or likelihood) that a hazard will cause harm. A health risk is therefore the probability (or likelihood) that exposure to a health hazard will cause harm.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight have 2 risks listed under Human Health with both being rated as very high:
- Pandemic
- Outbreak of emerging infectious disease
Infectious diseases in humans take a variety of forms. Some have the potential to cause significant public health impacts due to:
- the number of people they might affect in a short space of time
- the severity of their symptoms
Possible scenarios range from significant outbreaks of ‘containable’ infectious diseases, which spread slowly and / or can be more easily delayed or stopped but may have a high fatality rate, through to pandemics such as COVID-19, where the whole population is at risk from a highly infectious virus, which can cause fatalities in certain groups.
A pandemic can occur at any time and can occur in waves. This was seen during the COVID-19 pandemic when waves occurred months apart and lasted several weeks. Up to half the population could be directly affected and there will be pressures on the workforce due to staff absence due to illness, isolation, or caring responsibilities, as well as potential restrictions.
