1918 Influenza Epidemic Analysis

The social effects of the influenza epidemic of 1918 were severe: (1) The medical and scientific communities had to develop new theories and “apply them to prevention, diagnostics and treatment of the influenza patients” (Barry, 234). Something that, until then, no pandemic had forced (or allowed) such a collaboration. (2) In some cities and towns residents were required to wear surgical masks to protect themselves from the virus because influenza can penetrate even tightly woven clothing. (3) Children made up rhymes to jump rope to: Its name was Enza. / I opened the window, / And in-flu-enza. (4) The precautions set by city officials to help minimize influenza’s effects, such as closing schools and churches and limiting commerce, all changed

Leading to a large portion of the workforce homebound resulting in basic goods disappearing from store shelves, the closing of basic services such as government services, health, transportation, law enforcement, and schools. One of the great unsolved questions surrounding the 1918 epidemic is why it tended to kill the young and healthy. Something even scientists and historians today haven't completely figured out. One explanation is that “an over-responsive immune system may release a ‘cytokine storm,’ or excessive amount of immune system proteins that trigger inflammation and harm the patient in the process” (Barry,

(2) What are the chances that an influenza epidemic could occur again in the future? Barry mentions a correlation between 1918’s epidemic and the possibility of another, his example was H1N1 (swine) flu, but he never fully answers the question of the chances. (3) Since Influenza is a virus, are there any ways to combat this virus once a person has it? Barry touches on this as well, although he describes serums used to combat pneumonia, he never describes any medicine to fight of influenza itself. (4) If people would not have been in denial about the chances of influenza becoming a epidemic would many more people have been spared in 1918? (5) What's the difference between the flu that caused the epidemic and the flu people get today? Or is it simply that doctors have learned more about it and vaccines to help prevent it. (6) What makes the flu so easy for people to spread and catch? What are the reasons the flu cannot be cured? (7) How does the flu keep morphing every year? (8) Are some people inherently more prone to getting the flu and others more resistant? (9) Were many doctors and nurses effected by influenza or did many doctors and nurses die. If no, why not? (10) If the influenza outbreak of 1918 came back, how would it start/ what would cause it to