Here is an article on avian flu, as seen by economist Sherry Cooper, who has a pretty notable standing and background:
http://www.sherrycooper.com/article.php3?article=sr20050812
She was mentioned in this article on an avian flu thread (if you're looking for background).
Excerpt from her piece:
And from the full pdf: http://www.sherrycooper.com/documents/avian_flu.pdf
(She goes on from there...)
http://www.sherrycooper.com/article.php3?article=sr20050812
She was mentioned in this article on an avian flu thread (if you're looking for background).
Excerpt from her piece:
...have concluded that the economic and societal effects of even a moderate pandemic are so severe that businesses and consumers should join the medical and scientific community in creating a crisis prevention and management plan...
And from the full pdf: http://www.sherrycooper.com/documents/avian_flu.pdf
...The bottom line is that a
pandemic, even one meaningfully less virulent than the 1918 Influenza
breakout (discussed earlier by Don Coxe), would have hugely disruptive
effects. Depending on its length and severity, its economic impact could
be comparable, at least for a short time, to the Great Depression of the
1930s...
In a world of just-in-time inventory management for material inputs,
finished goods and labor, disruption at the ports, airports, borders and
rail lines would quickly lead to empty shelves. Health care services, vaccines
and antibiotics, masks and other protective materials would be in
short supply regardless of price. Every sector and every business in every
country would be affected.
Food chains and supplies would be disrupted as people in panic shift
from animal foods to a more vegetarian diet (think of what BSE did to
beef consumption)...
pandemic, even one meaningfully less virulent than the 1918 Influenza
breakout (discussed earlier by Don Coxe), would have hugely disruptive
effects. Depending on its length and severity, its economic impact could
be comparable, at least for a short time, to the Great Depression of the
1930s...
In a world of just-in-time inventory management for material inputs,
finished goods and labor, disruption at the ports, airports, borders and
rail lines would quickly lead to empty shelves. Health care services, vaccines
and antibiotics, masks and other protective materials would be in
short supply regardless of price. Every sector and every business in every
country would be affected.
Food chains and supplies would be disrupted as people in panic shift
from animal foods to a more vegetarian diet (think of what BSE did to
beef consumption)...
(She goes on from there...)