
When 2020 first began, the word "pandemic" was reserved solely for history lessons and disaster movies.
Now, eight months into the year, we've experienced the world's first ever synchronised shutdown, the closing of borders, weeks-long lockdowns, curfews, and social distancing.
But although many of us never imagined experiencing a global pandemic on the scale of COVID-19, it's a scenario that experts have been warning us about for decades.
Watch a clip from SBS Insight: Pandemic below. Post continues after video.
In fact, just six years ago, SBS Insight aired an episode centred on how Australia would cope in a "hypothetical influenza pandemic situation".
During the episode, which aired on September 24, 2014, a panel of virology experts discussed where the virus could originate.
"If we’re talking about a new avian influenza then the most likely thing is it’ll come from somewhere in Asia," Professor Anne Kelso from the World Health Organisation predicted.
"There are very high densities of bird populations living closely to humans, mixing with other animals which can also be infected with flu viruses like pigs," she added.
"This can then spread like wildfire because it’s a respiratory virus."
Professor Kelso also named China specifically as a probable source for the virus.
"The most likely scenario is that that virus would emerge first in one of the large populations, like China," she explained.
In the episode, the experts were also asked what would happen if the virus outbreak escalated.
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"Let's say it's severe and the symptoms are terrible and the death rate is relatively high for an influenza outbreak. Can you force someone to stay quarantined?" host Jenny Brockie asked.