Deadly Pandemics Are Being Stopped by NASA

By Rishi Ganesh

Everyone knows of the devastating effect that pandemics can have on the planet, shutting down movement, business, and connection. They strand families in terrible situations and cause healthcare workers to become overwhelmed. Of course, we must not forget the obvious: the deaths caused from pandemics all over the world are the most devastating consequence of pandemics.

Now, take COVID-19, add a civil war and being in the 5th poorest country in the world, and it suddenly looks a lot worse than anything those of us in the United States experience. However, the COVID-19 pandemic is somehow not the only pandemic in Yemen.

Enter cholera.

Cholera is feared in underdeveloped and poor countries due to its frightening mortality rate and explosive rate of contagion. Spreading through dirty, contaminated water, cholera finds reservoirs for living in abundance in poorer countries like Yemen.

Cholera is caused by a bacterium called vibrio cholerae, which presents its symptoms in the form of vomiting, diarrhea, and intense abdominal pain. If left untreated, cholera can have a 25-50% mortality rate while still maintaining disturbingly high rates of infection. In the majority of North America, Europe, and other more developed areas, cholera is quite rare. However, when food and water is able to be contaminated at high rates, such as in underdeveloped countries who don’t have infrastructure, cholera can become rampant.

In Yemen, cholera has blown into a full-scale pandemic, to the point where the total cases of cholera in the country currently outweigh the current cases of COVID. Not only is cholera an overall more dangerous disease when left alone, it’s also just as contagious. Yemen’s poor conditions and high poverty rate have caused this pandemic, along with an ongoing civil war in the country. Over half of the population is malnourished, making it harder to combat the disease. It seems like cholera is the scourge of all budding nations.

Or is it?

NASA has been taking steps in recent years to ensure that the outbreak of cholera is contained as best as possible. By using their satellites, NASA has created a predictive model, basing future outcomes off of factors like weather, temperature, and even offshore plankton populations. This model has been able to accurately predict (92% of the time) where future bursts of cholera may occur, allowing these areas to go on alert well before the outbreak happens.

Like a weather radar or a tornado watch, this system allows for NASA to help slow the spread of disease at any location they choose. This technology could also be useful during the current global pandemic, as it can allow countries to close certain borders, especially safer countries with less cases. In short, this model can save countless lives, and it is possibly one of the many tools of the future that scientists are equipped to use to solve other health problems.