Since the first days of the COVID-19 pandemic, comparisons have been made with past pandemics, maximum the 1918 H1N1 influenza pandemic (known as Spanish influenza).
Like COVID-19, the 1918 virus is “new”, meaning it is a new virus that has never been detected before. Like COVID-19, no one is immune to it and is highly contagious, spreading through respiratory droplets. adding how it compares to COVID-19, whether it was eradicated and how long others wearing masks to protect themselves from it.
Despite its name, the first recorded cases and Spanish influenza deaths occurred in the United States, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. Most countries, which are already suffering the devastating effects of World War I, have imposed censorship on their press. Spain remained impartial during the war, so national newspapers freely reported on the incidence of the virus, which gave the false impression that the virus originated in Spain.
“There is much debate about the origin of the 1918 influenza pandemic,” said epidemiologist Supriya Narasimhan, MD, director of the Division of Infectious Diseases and Medical Director of Infection Prevention at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San José, California. “I prefer to call it” Spanish flu “and link it geographically with Spain, because it can be perceived as a stigma, as well as why we no longer call COVID-19 the” Wuhan “virus. “
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The 1918 virus (Influenza A subtype H1N1) and the new coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) are other viruses from other viral families, expert in infectious diseases Amesh A. Adalja, MD, principal investigator at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Safety in Maryland, says Health.
However, the transmission mode is very similar. Both are mainly transmitted through the breathing of droplets and aerosols (a suspension of liquid droplets in the air), said Charles Bailey, MD, medical director of infection prevention at Mission Hospital and St. Joseph’s Hospital in Orange County, California, face-to-face contacts for dissemination in a community,” he says.
The 1918 influenza pandemic lasted two years, and developed in 3 waves, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The first wave started in March 1918 and the wave of moment, when the pandemic peaked in the United States, arrived in the fall. The moment of the devastating wave passed in December 2018, but there is more to come. In January 1919, a third wave started in Australia and made its way to the United States and Europe. In the summer of 1919, the third wave subsided.
So what happened to the Spanish flu? Although the virus never completely disappeared, other people had developed a collective immunity opposed to it in 1920.
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In 1918, the fitness government suggested that others use masks to curb the spread of the disease. At the time, they were made of gauze and stamens, and those who refused to use them risked a fine or even a criminal sentence in cities. that forced them, the New York Times reported. However, many other people have resisted, as the COVID-19 pandemic has lately.
Spanish influenza and COVID-19 manifest as “flu-like diseases,” with fever, muscle aches, headaches and very common respiratory symptoms, says Dr. Bailey. “A symptom that is unique to COVID-19, and that is not noticeable in seasonal influenza, or, as far as I know, Spanish influenza, is loss of taste and/or smell,” he adds.
The similarity of symptoms is one of the reasons why doctors and scientists are looking to vaccinate everyone who opposes the flu, says Bruce Polsky, MD, president of medicine at NYU Langone Hospital – Long Island. “If you have symptoms we still can’t absolutely if we rule out the flu, we can move it to a lower probability on the diagnostic list,” he explains.
Mortality is the highest among children under the age of five and those 6 to 5 years of age or older, but young adults (20 to 40 years old) were at the highest risk, says Dr. Adalja.
“Mortality is also higher among pregnant women, those in the lowest socioeconomic categories and immigrant populations,” adds Dr. Narasimhan. Deaths in other demographic teams are one of the main differences between Spanish influenza and COVID-19.
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As of September 29, the global death toll from COVID-19 exceeded one million, and as of November 17, the death toll of 1332470, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
We do not have an accurate count of Spanish influenza deaths, however, we estimate a diversity of 17 million to 50 million people worldwide, and there could possibly have been even more. the virus, causing at least 50 million deaths.
Why did so many people die from Spanish flu?First, the state of supportive health care in 1918-19 was primitive by current standards. “Note that many flu-related deaths are due to secondary bacterial infections, which we are now dealing with antibiotics, which were not taken at all in 1918-19,” explains Dr. Polsky. “In addition, the state of attention in the ICU with fashionable mechanical ventilation and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. a synthetic lung to the bloodstream) was far away in the future.
Dr. Narasimhan noted that no vaccine or antiviral agent is available. “We had no clinical progress in developing vaccines, which would have prevented transmission and reduced the severity of the disease and mortality.
The context of World War I also contributed greatly to the transmission of the virus that caused spanish influenza. ‘Military barracks are sometimes overcrowded and poorly separated in space, especially in winter,’ says Dr Narasimhan. The war facilitated the spread to other vulnerable populations. Similarly, economic cases likely caused overcrowding in the winter months, poor ventilation and a congregation, increasing spread.
In addition, hygiene criteria were lowered a hundred years ago. ‘But it’s attractive to note that the recommendation given at this time is almost the same as the ones we presented for COVID-19: hiding, staying away from other people in poor health, and washing your hands,’ says Dr Narasimhan.
Data in this story is accurate at time of publication; however, as the scenario surrounding COVID-19 continues to evolve, some insights may have been superseded since publication. Whereas Health tries to keep our articles as up to date as possible. We also inspire readers to stay informed of news and recommendations for their own communities through the CDC, WHO and their local public fitness branch as resources.
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