The Worldwide Influenza Epidemic in the U.S.
"The 1918 has gone: a year momentous as the termination of the most cruel war in the annals of the human race; a year which marked, the end at least for a time, of man's destruction of man; unfortunately a year in which developed a most fatal infectious disease causing the death of hundreds of thousands of human beings. Medical science for four and one-half years devoted itself to putting men on the firing line and keeping them there. Now it must turn with its whole might to combating the greatest enemy of all--infectious disease (Billings, 2005)." The influenza in 1919 was much bigger than a cold. In the two years that this disease swept the world one fifth of the population was infected. The flu was most deadly for people ages 20 to 40. This pattern of death was unusual for influenza which usually killed the elderly and young children. It infected 28% of all Americans. An estimated 675,000 Americans died of influenza during this pandemic, about ten times as many as in World War 1. Of the U.S. soldiers who died in Europe, half of them were killed by the influenza virus and not to the enemy. An estimated 43,000 soldiers who were sent for WWI died of influenza. The worldwide influenza epidemic adversely affected the U.S., both in the states and the soldiers at war. Subsequently, in the lack of medicine, lack of skilled doctors, and the lack of soldier preparation.
The influenza pandemic circled the globe. Most of humanity felt
The CDC influenza awareness campaign is exactly that, informing people about the influenza flu vaccination is and has always been a big if not the main part of that campaign.Each year, the CDC sponsors a national awareness campaign to educate the local people.The CDC’s mandate is to inform humans with poor immune systems about the importance of vaccination and provide them with helpful information on how and where to get a vaccination. The CDC takes out ads across all platforms including radio, television, magazines, and billboards even peoples own experience with the vaccination.
The Great Influenza by John Barry gives a panoramic account of the deadly influenza that swept across the globe and left a lasting legacy on human society. Instead of merely describing the cause and effects of the disease, Barry uses the events of the 1918 pandemic to explore how investigators and political leaders in both the national and local levels responded to and confronted the challenges that faced them. The book's overarching argument is that the influenza pandemic of 1918 was a result of the interplay of biology, politics, and culture. In spite of the harrowing and devastating repercussions of the pandemic, there were some positive outcomes and scientific discoveries that continue to be significant today. The 1918 influenza pandemic is a tragic story of suffering, death, and havoc.
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.
In the ten months between September 1918 and June 1919, 675,000 Americans died of influenza and pneumonia. When compared to the number of Americans killed in combat in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam combined- 423,000- it becomes apparent that the influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 was far more deadly than the war which it accompanied. (Crosby, 206-207) The United States and the rest of the world had been exposed to such epidemics in the past, but never at such a severe cost in human life.
The notorious pandemic weve been talking about occurred during spring of 1918 and wasn't noticed very much . The sick, who experienced such typical flu symptoms as chills, fever and fatigue, usually recovered after several days, Plus number of reported deaths was low for a typical flue season. However, a second, highly contagious strain of influenza appeared in the fall of that same year, and Victims died within hours or days of their symptoms appearing, sometimes, their skin would turn blue and their lungs filling with a fluid that caused them to suffocate. In just one year, 1918, the average life expectancy in America plummeted by around 12 years, that’s almost 10%, a figure that intimidates many.it is unknown exactly where this mysterious
The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 impacted places throughout the world both negatively and positively. Often the reason for the major spread of pestilence was due to transportation of goods and people. This pandemic infected people worldwide, killing millions. Overall people responded to the pandemic in different ways through commitment to the task, consulting religion, avoiding contact with others, and the effort to raise public health awareness.
The United states faced one of the deadliest epidemics in US history from 1918-1919, killing nearly 675,000 americans. When it first started, it killed nearly half the US soldiers who fought in the war. By August of 1918, Philadelphia and Boston were already infected by influenza. Then by October 1919, influenza had killed nearly 200,000 americans.
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.
This sort of environment was the perfect place for the Spanish influenza to begin its deadly streak. On March 11, the first cases of the Spanish flu showed up. The doctors did not worry; they believed it was just the flu. However, case after case of influenza came in, and by the week’s end, 522 people were sick. In the end, 48 soldiers died of influenza, and all their deaths were listed as pneumonia because of their frightening symptoms: labored breathing, violent coughs and nosebleeds, high fever, fluid filling the lungs, etc. However, quite suddenly, the influenza disappeared from Fort Riley (Iezzoni 23-24) and followed the path forged by the soldiers rushing to World War 1. It eventually spread around the world (Billings 2).
In two years between 1918 and 1919, A pandemic of influenza swept mercilessly over the planet, killing millions which stood in its path. Miraculously, the exact origin of the pandemic is unclear. What is exceedingly clear, however, is that often the actions of man aided in the spread of the virus, whether due to inadvertent endangerment, close quarters, religious principles, or failure to recognize the true threat that influenza posed.
Scary movies are great because they push boundaries of the believable while sitting on the threshold of our most deep set fears. Where movies such as The Exorcist or The Blair Witch Project have shock value, they also lack depth. Where are the elements that bring these stories their credibility/believability? Some of the best horror movies of all time were science fiction stories that left the audience feeling this could actually happen in their daily lives. Who honestly believes that a ghost is going to come haunt you and your family? What about a widespread disease that is killing off everyone you know, in weeks, that is spread through touch? Schools shut down, the government tries to take over while rebellion among
In 1918-1919, the worst flu in recorded history occurred, killing an estimated 50 million people worldwide. The U.S. death toll was 675,000 - five times the number of U.S. soldiers killed in World War I. Crazy! This flu was unlike any other, and in infected unlike any other. Not to mention, the progression of this illness was extremely quick. One minute you’re fine and the next you’re suffering from a high-grade fever and lying on your death bed.
Influenza is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Every year, it is estimated that between 3 and 5 million cases of severe influenza illness occur and that between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths are associated with influenza infection [1]. Pregnant women, children aged <5 years, elderly people, and individuals suffering from chronic diseases are particularly at risk of severe influenza infections and complications
Have you ever been in a pandemic? I think the world would end as a pandemic. A pandemic is a very dangerous situation for people to live in noone should ever want to get caught up in a pandemic it is very scary and serious because no one knows who got the disease or know one know the symptoms, how long the pandemic is going to last, if you are going to live or die it's one of the worst feelings in the world. A pandemic has a major effect on the on our planet earth.It is a deadly disease that spreads from person to person and sometimes a pandemic can last up to weeks or even months. A pandemic can kill a lot of people and noone will know what the disease is and there is no known
As the Great War (WW1) was coming to an end there was a break out of a deadly virus. Influenza was the major cause of death in the 1900 killing a fifth of the world’s population in just one year. Glasgow was the first British city to be affected in May 1918, the next few months it spread all around Britain killing 228,000 people. Influenza did not affect the elderly or those who were sick it was mainly affecting those who were between the ages of 20 and 40 who had good immune systems were the ones who were becoming vulnerable. For example nowadays people are encouraged to get vaccines for flu known as ‘flu jab’ which is available every year for everyone on the NHS to protect adults and children. However people in the 1918 who were mainly affected were those between the ages of 20 and 40 unlike now its elderly over 65 years, young children, adults and those people with poor immune systems. The flu jab is not a 100% guarantee that