Essay On The Spanish Flu

Throughout the history, influenza viruses have caused several pandemics or global epidemics, killing many people. For example, the influenza strike in 1918 to 1919 infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide, which is one-third of the planet’s population at the time and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million people. More than 25 percentage of the U.S. population were affected, and caused 675,000 deaths in U.S during the pandemic.(History, 2015). There were no effective treatments for this type of influenza and no available vaccines can prevent its spread during the period. (History, 2015) U.S government required general population to wear masks and other protective equipments in public areas, and many public places also closed due to the influenza strike. Health care providers tried everything they knew to save people, but none shows any evidence of effects. (National Center for Biotechnology Information [NCBI], 2015). Scientists found out that the influenza virus had invaded their lungs and caused pneumonia, which made so many people died from the pandemic (History,2015). Another influenza strike happened

The book “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, written by John M. Barry, covers the progression of the Spanish influenza, especially in the United States. Barry focuses not only on the influenza itself, though, but also on the social influences that allowed the virus to flourish. The book covers how medical practices in the United States had risen up just in time to combat the virus, but, due to societal issues and the war, the doctors struggled in areas where they should have been successful.

According to Center for Disease Control (CDC), influenza viruses are divided into three types, designated as A, B, and C. Influenza type C usually only causes either very mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. Types A and B, however, are responsible for epidemics of respiratory illnesses that can result in hospitalization, or even death. Influenza is constantly changing over time by mutations. This continual change allows the virus to evade the antibodies that were meant to kill it. A host infected with influenza virus develops antibodies against that virus; as the virus changes, the "first" antibody no longer recognizes the "newer" virus and infection can occur because the host does not recognize the new flu virus as a problem until the infection is well under way. The first antibody developed may, in some instances, provide partial protection against infection with a new influenza virus. According to Medicine Net.com, In 2009, almost all individuals had no antibodies that could recognize the novel H1N1 virus immediately. It quickly spread throughout the world so fast that the WHO declared this new flu strain (termed novel H1N1 influenza A swine flu). There are currently four main strains of influenza circulating worldwide. Three of the viruses are type A, and one is type B. Type A viruses are divided into subtypes based on the differences in two viral proteins called hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). The three subtypes of influenza A are A(H1N1), A(H3N2), and A(H5N1). The reason for several strands of type A are because of the two kinds of change influenza A

The graphs of the deaths due to the spring flu revealed that it had the Spanish flu’s distinct “W” shaped curve. While normal human flu tends to kill off people who are either very young or very old, the Spanish flu killed all those and more. It was unusual in that it also had many deaths in the age range of 20-40, whose members were generally more robust than flu’s usual victims (Kolata, Flu 5). Yue-Ming Loo and Michael Gale, Jr. discuss a study by Darwyn Kobasa and many other scientists

The Spanish flu in World War I was a lot worse and had a way higher death rate than the common flu today. Therefore, they should not even be compared. It is so much different because during war everything was so dirty and everyone was always crammed in the trenches: “World War 1 trenches were dirty, smelly and riddled with disease. For soldiers life in the trenches meant living in fear” (WWI facts). This made it very easy to catch illnesses especially because the flu was so contagious. The symptoms of the Spanish flu were very similar to the symptoms of a common flu: “Normal flu symptoms of fever, nausea, aches and diarrhea” (NPR). Although they were similar is was still way more deadly to have it during World War I. Everyone already had such

In the early 1900’s medicine was making some steps closer into some great improvements for health and better understanding of the human body. Doctors with sufficient knowledge of the human body and cures for diseases and viruses were scarce. People were much more concerned with government and politics, than health and medicine, until one of the greatest and most grotesque lethal pandemics that’s struck the earth in human history. This pandemic the “Spanish Flu” spread so rapidly and had an extremely high mortality rate. This was caused by the close contact of humans and poor cleanliness and sanitation, and the host (virus) and the body taking harsh action

Even though it is called the ‘Spanish Flu’ it did not originate from Spain. Spain was neutral during World War I and the press was not subject to wartime examining. In this manner, the press in Spain was allowed to print whatever news about the sickness they saw fit. The encompassing nations started assembling disease-related news from Spain, as it was uncensored and the most dependable. In this way, they named the disease the "Spanish flu." In different nations, for example, Britain and the United States, the extraordinary levels of press censorship stopped the distribution of data to the war exertion, (for example, news of an approaching pandemic). More than likely, the disease began in Kansas; yet it was never given the name the Kansas flu. The illness was likely carried to Spain by American troops. Another reason the flu was thought to have originated from Spain is because the king of Spain at the time, Alfonso XIII, contracted the

An epidemic as powerful and fatal as the Influenza outbreak of 1918, is horrific to hear about let alone to think about the possibilities of such an outbreak occurring again. Since the time period of the first outbreak, there has been countless new discoveries for vaccines and precautions against illnesses like this. If such an outbreak was to occur again, there is no doubt that it would be just as horrible, and difficult to deal with. However, I also do believe that the epidemic would not harmfully affect myself and others, if contracted as terribly as it did back in Philadelphia in 1918; due to the fact that scientists, physicians, and other medical personnel are now more educated and equipped with the proper equipment, medicine, and knowledge to fight this than there were back during that time.

The book The Great Influenza by John Barry takes us back to arguably one of the greatest medical disasters in human history, the book focuses on the influenza pandemic which took place in the year 1918. The world was at war in the First World War and with everyone preoccupied with happenings in Europe and winning the war, the influenza pandemic struck when the human race was least ready and most distracted by happenings all over the world. In total the influenza pandemic killed over a hundred million people on a global scale, clearly more than most of the deadliest diseases in modern times. John Barry leaves little to imagination in his book as he gives a vivid description of the influenza pandemic of 1918 and exactly how this pandemic affected the human race. The book clearly outlines the human activities that more or less handed the human race to the influenza on a silver platter. “There was a war on, a war we had to win” (Barry, p.337). An element of focus in the book is the political happenings back at the time not only in the United States of America but also all over the world and how politicians playing politics set the way for perhaps the greatest pandemic in human history to massacre millions of people. The book also takes an evaluator look at the available medical installations and technological proficiencies and how the influenza pandemic has affected medicine all over the world.

specific proof or answer to where the influenza virus came from, but most people blame this

Influenza, an innocent little virus that annually comes and goes, has always been a part of people’s lives. Knowing this, one would not believe that it has caused not one, not two, but three pandemics and is on its way to causing a fourth! The Spanish flu of 1918, the Asian flu of 1957, and the Hong Kong

The 1918 pandemic was known as the “Spanish Flu” and was Influenza strain A(H1N1) and it caused the highest known influenza death rate known, 500,000 Americans and 20 million people worldwide.

In 1918 and in 2009, influenza pandemics struck worldwide. It is estimated that the 1918 pandemic killed over fifty million people. The flu pandemic of 1918 to 1919, was the deadliest in the modern history. A flu is a virus that attacks the respiratory system which is very contagious. When an infected person coughs and sneezes respiratory droplets are generated and transmitted into the air, and can then can be inhaled by anyone nearby.

Medical care was as scarce as clean water. Basic medical care was rudimentary. Describing the situations as “incredibly unhygienic” would be an understatement. War fatalities were the immediate effects of the Great War and the incredible spread of a disease was a later one. As a matter of fact, more people died from the Great Influenza Pandemic than from World War One (Tauenberger1).

The Influenza virus first came to knowledge in the 18th centre with influenza being derived from the word influence (Collins English Dictionary, 2014). Modern influenza has developed many strains over the last century with the most recent strand being H1N1. (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious diseases, 2011). In relation to New Zealand the worst outbreak of flu was 1918 killing around 8,600 in total. Since the development of modern medicines and higher sanitary conditions in hospitals; the flu has not been a major killer but it is still relevant in society.