The outbreak of coronavirus-19 highlights the danger of close contact with sick animals, the danger of bird pathogens, and the danger of evolving pathogens created by cross-species transmission. In the Spanish Flu epidemic, birds transmitted H1N1 to people, who then transmitted H1N1 to swine. In 2009, swine transmitted the H1N1 back to people, which started an outbreak of H1N1 flu, then termed “swine flu”.

The availability of antibiotics and anti-virals has led to complacency about infectious diseases. Greater care to avoid spreading our own infectious diseases to family, friends, co-workers, classmates, and the community, and isolating ourselves during acute illness, could reduce the need for antibiotics and anti-virals, reduce hospitalizations and health emergencies, and reduce and delay development of chronic diseases.