Extemporaneous Writing
Impact of Influenza on Society
Influenza is a virus that infects the upper respiratory system. The common symptoms include but are not limited to: coughing, sneezing, and drowsiness. Influenza is spread by droplets of water or other substances containing the virus landing on another being after an infected person coughs or sneezes. The person who then contracts the disease could take anywhere from 1-4 days to show symptoms. They then could be contagious at any time from the first day to 7 days after they show symptoms. The influenza virus has a major effect on the population of America, often infecting anywhere from 5%–20% of the population of the United States. The “Flu Season” in North America is between the months of November and May, commonly peaking in January and February.
…show more content…
Those also majorly at risk are those with an immune system deficiency (medicinal or disease induced). On average there are anywhere from 9,600,000-36,500,000 cases recorded in the US. 14,000,000-24,000,000 million of those cases on average are hospitalized, with an average of 9,000-24,000 patients dead. In the 2013-2014 season, there were a surprisingly low number of flu cases reported, there were only approximately 9,000,000 cases and 4,000,000 hospitalizations with a record low ~9,120 deaths recorded due to Pneumonia and Influenza In the 2015-2016 flu season there were an estimated 24 million cases in America alone, with 19 million of them being hospitalized, and 19 thousand people lost due to P&I; this was an average flu year. Vaccinations have proven to be an average 50% effective with the highest rate being with children from 5-13. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Central Disease Center (CDC) are currently looking, and have found prototypes of vaccines even stronger, but usung a lesser dose of the virus. Due to the unpredictability of these prototypes however, WHO and the CDC have refused to
Seasonal influenza is a major cause of mortality and morbidity in the industrialized world. The United States alone averages more than 23,000 influenza-associated deaths annually (Cortes-Penfield, 2014). Everyone is given the option to receive the flu vaccination each year. The vaccine is offered in health care facilities, clinics, and pharmacies around
This influenza occurred at the latter point of “World War 1” coming at a vulnerable time for the world. Many people have already died due to the war, and many resources and money has already been consumed. So when the pandemic hit, it hit with a charge that left a great wound in the economy and health of the people not just in the U.S. but the world. People responded by taking more precautions in health and safety, and took radical response in the exterminating of animal populations.
The influenza or flu pandemic of 1918 to 1919, the deadliest in modern history, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide–about one-third of the planet’s population at the time–and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims. Researchers later discovered what made
This new influenza baffled researchers and doctors everywhere. Up to this point, all viral diseases has spread prominently throughout heavily populated areas and into the lungs of the very young, very old, or sickly. On the contrary, the Influenza of 1918 swept through the Midwest and preyed on the
No matter the technical, or medical advances that evolved over the years, nevertheless if an outbreak as powerful as the Influenza was to occur again in the United States it would still be just as bad as the first epidemic. With the first epidemic being massive enough to take out an estimate of fifty to an hundred thousand people in the matter of months, compared to the other epidemics that were just as harmful, but fatalities were not as high as the Influenza. Being aware of this
The 1918 influenza had a catastrophic impact on the world. It washed over the world in waves, killing millions from even the most remote places on every continent. No one was safe from this lethal disease. It also had an odd pattern in victims that nobody had seen before, killing strong and healthy people. It was a ruthless disease that devastated it’s victims and killed them in a macabre way.
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.
Influenza is very contagious and spreads rapidly from person to person. Influenza causes worldwide yearly epidemics. According to World Health organization Influenza affects 5-15% world’s population and resulting in 500,000 deaths yearly. Ottenberg stated that, in United States, an average of 200,000 were hospitalized and 36,000 died each year from influenza complications. Influenza is the sixth leading cause of death among US adults and is related to 1 in 20 death in persons older than 65 years. Disease control and prevention estimates indicate that infections like H1N1 which is one of the types of influenza, have resulted in an estimated 42 to 86 million cases and 8520 to 17620 deaths. As I mentioned earlier that infections like
This research paper covers the basic history of influenza. It begins with its early history
One of the most virulent strains of influenza in history ravaged the world and decimated the populations around the world. Present during World War I, the 1918 strain of pandemic influenza found many opportunities to spread through the war. At the time, science wasn’t advanced enough to study the virus, much less find a cure; medical personnel were helpless when it came to fighting the disease, and so the flu went on to infect millions and kill at a rate 25 times higher than the standard.
Millions of people get the flu each year in the US, about 2000 of those people will be severe enough to get hospitalized and about 3600 people will die because of some complication with the flu as stated in the article “Flu” on the Walgreens website.
Influenza is an infectious illness that can be spread from one individual to the next. It can be transmitted by means of saliva, nasal secretions, feces and blood. It can also be spread by coming in contact with the virus on contaminated surfaces. Influenza is responsible for an average of 36,000 deaths and for more than 226,000 hospitalizations each year in the United States. (Davidson, 2007-2009, Davis, 2007).
Influenza, normally called “the flu”, the influenza virus causes an infection in the respiration tract. Even though the influenza virus can sometimes be compared with the common cold. It also can cause a more severe illness or death. During this past century, pandemics took place in 1918, 1957, and 1968, in all of these cases there where unfortunately many deaths. The “Spanish flu” in 1918, killed approximately half a million people in the United States alone. It killed around 20 million worldwide. The “Asian flu” in 1957, in the United States their 70,000 people died. In 1968 the “Hong-Kong flu” There where 34,000 deaths in the United
There are many things about the animated movie and the book of Exodus that are different. One thing that really stood out to me was in Bible Moses was sent down the river by his mother. It does not say anything about it being a crazy, life-threatening ride. However, in the movie Moses goes through so much during his rid in the basket. There were many times where as the watcher, you may have though he could have lost his life. I think that this modification was done in the movie to make it more exciting and thrilling for the viewers. Having conflict and action will make it so much more interesting to watch. I know that the this is a large change from the book to the movie but I think that it is very helpful to really grasp that Moses was sent
Influenza is a virus that is transmitted mainly via airborne process, which is one of the fastest mode of transmission. It is transmitted though airborne due to symptoms such as coughing and sneezing of the host (the infected). The host sneezes and coughs, influenza can easily be transmitted the agent via droplets and small microorganism, therefore entering the uninfected though the respiratory system (mouth and nasal) (WHO, 2016). Another way the virus can lead to pandemic, is due to the fact that the number of human and animals continue to grow and interact. Thus, the pandemic of influenza type A is possible. This mode of transmission is both and; the airborne (respiratory system) and physically (hand contamination). The customarily begins in rural areas (farms) as the virus can be found in hosts such as horses, pigs, chickens and birds. There has been an undetected interchange of the disease among animals and humans in rural environments which then eventually grows to become a global pandemic (Webster, RG & Monto, AS et al 2013, Textbook of influenza). The virus may continue to spread physically due to hand contamination in public; these may include door handles, public transport and other hand held hold objects. The last mode of transmission is genetically, this may then lead to asthma or even death (WHO,