My name is Dermot, I’m from Ireland, and I am here to talk about pandemics and how we can prevent them.
My professional background is in finance. I studied Economics and Finance in UCD, was formerly a CFA Charterholder, and am a recent alumnus of Nassim Taleb’s Real World Risk Institute.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, I began researching contagious diseases and epidemic control. Now, I write about the theory of Risk Management and how it can be applied to epidemic control in the real world, with the ultimate goal of permanently ending the threat of pandemic-potential pathogens.
You can read more of my thoughts here: https://pandemicprevention.substack.com/
“Do you have a particular solution to guarantee pandemic prevention that deals with the specific logistical complexities inherent to the task, that can be applied to every country on Earth without being resisted?”
I don’t know what you mean by ‘without being resisted’, but otherwise, yes :)
The complexities are driven by the exponentiality of the variable. The exponentiality is resolved through speed, as I note in the piece. Exponential variables are exponential on the way down too.
“you state your solutions will come in later posts but I think it’s better to do that upfront”
We must understand the nature of the problem we are trying to solve before we start designing solutions. Similarly, we lay the foundations before we buy the wallpaper. Patience young grasshopper.
“Given your title I expect to see a theory of change that attempts to address the overwhelming challenges involved”
I cannot speak to your expectations.
The key point of this piece, which is reflected in the title, is that pandemics are the kind of problem that can be solved, in contrast to a problem like hurricanes which we can only hope to endure better.
Having worked with senior academics and policy-makers in my own country I know that this distinction is not well understood among those in positions of the highest levels of influence. Hence, why I take my time in making the point.