By Andrew Priestley

Over the last few months news headlines around the world have been reporting on the outbreak, attempt to contain, and the spread of a new coronavirus now known as COVID-19. Initially discovered in Wuhan, China, in just over two months the virus has spread from just one city in China to 33 other countries around the world.

 

Over the last few months news headlines around the world have been reporting on the outbreak, attempt to contain, and the spread of a new coronavirus now known as COVID-19. Initially discovered in Wuhan, China, in just over two months the virus has spread from just one city in China to 33 other countries around the world .

 

Humans are by nature, a migratory species. History shows we have travelled the planet for millennia. The way in which we’re now able to travel from one side of the world to the other in under 24 hours is undoubtedly a boost for business and is enjoyed by tourists. Fast and efficient travel also means diseases have the ability to spread very quickly. Travellers move from one city to another in close proximity to hundreds of other people; disease may be passed on at an alarming rate.

Ordinarily, this isn’t a problem, modern medicine is incredibly efficient at keeping us well and supporting our immune systems when we become sick. The challenge comes when a new bacteria or virus such as COVID-19 emerges. Humans have no immunity to the new disease and medicine has no means to help us fight off infection or help us get better when we do fall ill. Science needs time to develop vaccines; meanwhile, the disease spreads frighteningly quickly.

 

There were a reported 15,952 deaths in 2018 as a result of terrorism . Each of these deaths is a tragedy. I believe that those of us working in the security and border management world must consider how we contribute to managing the threat of uncontrolled and uncontained spread of new diseases. We should consider the proposition that diseases may present more of a threat to the global population than terrorism and organised crime.

 

There is a very real threat that new diseases could travel undetected around the world very quickly, spreading through the population in many countries before individuals show any symptoms.

 

As of the time of writing this article (26th February 2020) COVID-19 kills 1-2% of those it has infected outside China. A disease with a mortality rate of 1-2% that is new to science, without a cure, spreading throughout the world’s population who have no immune resistance, has the potential to kill many more people in one year than the darkest and most devious dreams of terrorists who wish us harm. Can we make use of information gathered by governments to assist with border management to help control the spread of diseases such as COVID-19?

 

Airlines and cruise/ferry operators provide many governments with passenger information in the form of API (Advance Passenger Information) and PNR (Passenger Name Records) to assist with managing border control with particular focus on counter terrorism and combatting serious and organised crime.

 

Advance Passenger Information contains details about each traveller, at its core it is the information contained in the machine-readable zone of passports, ID cards, and other travel documents. A small amount of information is added about each traveller’s journey but this only relates to the current segment of the journey being undertaken.

Click here to read the full story >>

Click here to download your copy of Border Security Report (pdf) >>