There’s “always a potential for this virus to become a pandemic, but there’s also the potential for any existing — or not yet existing — virus to become a pandemic,” said Dr. Shira Doron. The post Are we heading for a bird flu pandemic?

With reports of the first human death from bird flu in the US, some Americans are feeling an uncomfortable flashback to the early days of Covid-19, when infectious disease experts were talking about a new virus that was sending people to the hospital with respiratory infections.

A variant of the virus caused disease in people in 1997, when there was a small but deadly outbreak in Hong Kong. Eighteen people had confirmed diagnoses, and six of them died. Since then, there have been sporadic cases around the world—but no large outbreaks.

The first known death from a bird flu virus in the US has sparked fears about another pandemic, yet the overall risk to the general public still remains low

The first person in the U.S. just died from a strain of the virus in Louisiana, but there’s still some simple ways to stay safe.

The bird flu, which seemed to be fading away, has once again set off alarms. With the first death recorded in the United States and the virus detected in every state, the situation is becoming increasingly complex.