Your life during a pandemic

by Nikki Tundel, Minnesota Public Radio

Even if you survive a bird flu pandemic, life won't be easy.

St. Paul, Minn. — President Bush is expected to approve a national response plan in the next week that will detail how government agencies should respond in the event of a bird flu outbreak.

The H5N1 virus is not yet able to spread from person to person and remains primarily an animal disease. But researchers, epidemiologists and government officials believe the virus will eventually mutate, resulting in a bird flu pandemic among humans.

If bird flu can be passed from person to person, experts like Michael Osterholm say we could see up to 360 million deaths worldwide.

Reporter Nikki Tundel talked to Osterholm, the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, to find out how daily life could be affected by a bird flu pandemic.

Osterholm says that even in the worst case scenario, 98 percent of the population will survive a pandemic. And, therefore, it's vital to have plans in place to keep societies from falling into chaos.