Why Plumbing Must Be Improved To Curb Future Pandemics
Will cities be prepared to address overlooked sources of infectious disease when the next pandemic hits?
In the spring of 2003, 329 people contracted an infectious disease in a high rise building in Hong Kong. 42 of those 329 people lost their lives.
The building — Amoy Gardens — was the epicenter of the 2003 outbreak of SARS. Almost one-fifth of all recorded SARS cases and deaths in Hong Kong emanated from Amoy Gardens.
And as we reckon with a strain of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) very similar to the one that killed 42 Amoy Gardens residents in 2003, we can look to history to guide the future of pandemic responses in dense urban areas like Hong Kong.
Where Poor Plumbing Can Go Wrong
We often take for granted the creature comforts that make our lives smoother. We assume the lights will go on when we flip the switch. We assume the oven will heat up when we turn the knob. We assume the smoke detector will sound in the event of a fire.
Perhaps more than any other critical aspect of modern life, we take for granted the plumbing that conveys all sorts of fluids around our residences, buildings, and cities.
