The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than the Great War, known today as World War I (WWI), at somewhere between twenty and forty million people. (1) Influenza is a virus that appeared in 1918 and caused a pandemic. It made an enormous impact that is still significant to the world today. It has pushed scientists to make advancements in the medicine and vaccination industry that continue to grow each and every day. Influenza may be a horrible thing, but without it we wouldn’t be where we are today.
In the fall of 1918 influenza appeared for the first time in pockets across the globe. At first it was pushed aside as a case of the common cold. The influenza of that season, however, was far more than a cold. In the two years that this scourge ravaged the earth, a fifth of the world's population was infected. (1) Including twenty-eight percent of all Americans. In those two years an estimated six hundred and seventy-five thousand Americans died because of influenza. This was the greatest scare Americans had ever seen from a single disease. People between the age of twenty and forty were at the greatest risk of infection. Even President Woodrow Wilson suffered from the flu in early 1919 while negotiating the crucial treaty of Versailles to end the World War. The public health departments distributed gauze masks to be worn in public. Stores could not hold sales; funerals were limited to 15 minutes. Some towns required a signed certificate to enter and railroads would not accept passengers without them. (1) Influenza had killed nearly as many American servicemen as died in battle, ten times and over that number of American civilians, and twice as many people in the world as died in combat on all fronts in the entire four...
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...ty for nearly one hundred years now with no sign of stopping anytime soon. We can only guess what scientific discoveries it will bring in the future.
Works Cited
1. Billings, Molly. “The Influenza Pandemic of 1918.” virus.stanford.edu. Modified RDS, 2005. Web. 12 Nov. 2013.
2. Ng, Sophia, et al. "The Effect Of Age And Recent Influenza Vaccination History On The Immunogenicity And Efficacy Of 2009-10 Seasonal Trivalent Inactivated Influenza Vaccination In Children." Plos One 8.3 (2013): e59077. MEDLINE. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
3. Kamradt-Scott, Adam. "The Politics Of Medicine And The Global Governance Of Pandemic Influenza." International Journal Of Health Services: Planning, Administration, Evaluation 43.1 (2013): 105-121. MEDLINE with Full Text. Web. 15 Nov. 2013.
4. Crosby, Alfred W. America’s Forgotten Pandemic. Austin: Cambridge University, 2003. Print.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than the great war, known today as world war i.
- Explains that influenza was far more than a cold and killed nearly as many american servicemen as killed in battle, ten times and over that number of american civilians.
- Explains that the suddenness of the virus forced scientists to work harder than ever before to develop a cure and vaccine to keep our military forces strong and prevent deaths of loved ones.
- Opines that influenza has had a long-term significance on the entire world.
- Concludes that influenza has completely shaped the world around us. the medical field continues to grow and learn because of the affects and impacts of a single virus.
- Cites billings, molly, ng, sophia, and samradt-scott, adam. the influenza pandemic of 1918.
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- The Flu is an Imminent Pandemicexplanatory essayFlu: The Imminent Pandemic Influenza is an everyday disease that affects thousands worldwide. Despite its reputation as a mundane sickness, the flu (especially the avian flu) is widely touted by experts as the propagator of the next deadly pandemic. The secret to this virus’ lethality is its antigenic shifting, leading to increased virulence and transmission factors. If one strain of a super flu begins circulating, millions of lives and billions of dollars will be lost. Only by preparing a national and worldwide response to this threat will we be able to combat this imminent pandemic.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that flu is an everyday disease that affects thousands worldwide. the secret to its lethality is its antigenic shifting, leading to increased virulence and transmission factors.
- Opines that the next pandemic will be caused by a strain of influenza called h5n1, aka the notorious avian flu.
- Explains that 5%-20% of the us population gets the flu annually, with the young and the old at the biggest risk.
- Explains that the flu is a threat to humans, even in countries with access to excellent medical care.
- Opines that the impact of seasonal influenza is already severely underestimated. with one strain of the super flu, we could be facing a worldwide catastrophe.
- Explains that a typical pandemic occurs in multi-year waves, beginning with mutation in the original virus and spreading into subsequent milder cycles of disease.
- Explains the worst-case scenario of a flu pandemic: the virus could be entrenched in all continents in three months, and the economic impact would be astronomical.
- Opines that large-scale vaccination would be effective to contain a pandemic, but influenza vaccines must be specific to the strain, and the current capacity to manufacture the vaccine, mainly based on incubating cultures in chicken eggs, will not be enough.
- Opines that antiviral drugs may be the only means to lessen the impact of a pandemic. however, the cdc confirms an increase in drug-resistant viruses in the past few years.
- Opines that the world is woefully ill-equipped to deal with an influenza pandemic. only by preparing for the future will we leave a legacy for our children.
- Cites the centers for disease control and prevention's "key facts about influenza and the influenza vaccine." cnn, cable news network, and risk management solutions.
1212 wordsRead More - The Importance Of Influenza Vaccinesargumentative essay...c. During 1918, the Spanish Influenza devastated countless lives and destroyed families, and would forever leave a scar on history that will not easily be forgotten. During the Spanish Influenza, accurate vaccines could not be created in time, and improper sanitation techniques allowed for advanced transmission of the illness. Because of the ability for Spanish Influenza to spread, this type A virus was able to kill around 675,000 people in North America alone and 50 million worldwide--proving to be more devastating than even the war itself. The Swine Flu pandemic of 2009--another type of influenza A virus--killed a significantly lower amount, a total of around 284,000 deaths worldwide. The reason for this significant decline in deaths since 1918 may be observed in the large improvements in healthcare, new scientific discoveries about how influenza viruses work, and
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the common question "have you received your flu vaccine yet?" is well-known. vaccines have been extraordinarily helpful in combating the spread of influenza.
- Explains that there are three types of influenza: a, b, and c. mutations that occur in the genes of the influenza virus allow it to become resistant to medicines and treatments.
- Explains that the spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 killed around 675,000 people, ten times more than the amount of people killed in world war i.
- Analyzes how spanish influenza spread through the respiratory system, namely through saliva and mucus, and how society dealt with the disease.
- Explains that an outbreak of influenza during 2009 sparked a concern in healthcare facilities throughout the world. influenza a viruses are susceptible to mutations, which allow for resistance to certain medicines.
- Compares how the spanish influenza of 1918 and the swine flu of 2009 were handled by the public.
- Concludes that society has drastically improved sanitation methods since the outbreak of influenza in 1918, and major improvements in healthcare have significantly reduced the risk of a widespread influenza a pandemic.
1606 wordsRead More - The Influenza of 1918analytical essayAfter World War I had ended, American citizens celebrated with joy as they welcomed the American soldiers back home. What Americans did not realize was that the end of World War I was just the beginning of a year of devastation. Upon returning home from the fronts, the soldiers were not only welcomed home by the citizens of America, but also introduced a new threat that led to much desolation throughout the American nation. Following the return of the army, reported cases of the flu had significantly risen. The influenza was different from the other illnesses people faced, because it differed genetically from previous influenzas. At first, this was not a concern since physicians had already obtained vaccines and treatments for the flu. What these physicians did not consider was that each year the influenza changes because it becomes resistant to the antibiotics and changes in its genetic marker. This led to the importance of locating the source of the virus. Due to the lack of preparation and knowledge of technology in 1918, the plague was easily transmitted throughout the United States at a rapid speed, threatening the lives of numerous citizens. Because it caused such a widespread of fear and sickness among the American public, it encouraged scientists and physicians to discover a cure to prevent more deaths. Upon searching for the initial cause of the plague and the cure for it, which was critical to avoid spreading and causing further harm, it influenced newer technology to be created helping prevent a similar outbreak in the future.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the end of world war i was just the beginning of a year of devastation.
- Explains that there are many theories as to how the plague began. the first known cases of the flu appeared in brest, france.
- Analyzes how the spanish flu was misdiagnosed as a flu virus, and how it affected people mentally and physically. public officials mandated that citizens wear gauze masks and ban spitting in public.
- Opines that the spread of the spanish flu was not avoided.
- Explains that the pandemic affected every person in the united states and there was no escape from the virus. emergency hospitals were created to combat the shortage of space in regular hospitals.
- Explains that the effects of the influenza were mostly negative, but some positive things happened as a result of it that changed the course of history and influenced the way medicine is practiced today.
- Explains the national archives and records administration's "the deadly virus: the influenza epidemic of 1918."
- Explains barry's the great influenza: the epic story of the deadliest plague in history.
- Cites the united states department of health and human services. the great pandemic: the us in 1918-1919.
1263 wordsRead More - 1918 To 1919 Influenza Pandemicexplanatory essayA pandemic is defined as a disease that has the ability to outbreak and spread globally. A pandemic is determined by how a particular disease spreads rather than how many lives it has claimed. A future pandemic can easily occur if and when a mutation of a new influenza A virus emerges. A pandemic of this type is easily possible to spread quickly and globally due to that when a new strand of the virus emerges, it will be highly unlikely that the human population will have a built up immunity to it.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that a pandemic is determined by how the disease spreads rather than how many lives it has claimed.
- Explains that the spanish flu pandemic broke out between 1918 and 1919. the majority of people who caught it passed on quickly.
- Explains that the flu virus arrived in the far east from 1957 to 1958, causing a series of small outbreaks. by october 1957 the infection rates peaked.
- Explains that the swine flu virus, h1n1, spread quickly across the united states. the vaccine was limited in the beginning, allowing people at the highest risk of complications to receive it first.
- Explains that in 1976 a pandemic flu threat of the swine flu emerged at fort dix, new jersey. there were concerns that this virus was similar to the spanish flu.
- Explains that in 1997 and 1999 an outbreak of the avian flu in hong kong appeared. it was more easily passed from chickens to humans.
- Describes the symptoms of the influenza virus, including a fever over 100 degree f, aching muscles in the back, arms and legs, chills and sweats, headache, and dry persistent cough.
- Explains that the treatment for the influenza virus is to get plenty of bedrest and to drink lots of fluids.
- Explains that once a new virus emerges, it is most likely that those at the highest risk of developing the disease will receive the vaccine first. the fifth and final challenge is the disrupted economy and society.
- Explains that the influenza virus is most commonly spread by coughing or sneezing, and by touching an object that was recently contaminated.
- Explains that the seasonal flu peak period is in january or february, depending on the weather for the particular winter. the seasonal influenza's death rate in the united states has ranged from 3,000 deaths per season to about 49,000 deaths
- Explains that the pandemic flu is a rare occurrence even though it has occurred three times in the 20th century. the number of deaths could be exceptionally high.
- Explains the five major challenges that occur during a flu pandemic: rapid worldwide spreading, overloaded health care system, high death rates, and inadequate medical supplies.
- Explains that the monitoring of a flu pandemic around the world helps enable quick detection of any unusual flu outbreaks.
- Opines that the cdc and health care professionals provide a great effort in their attempts to develop vaccines to help fight against future influenza pandemics.
- Opines that the united states is not currently experiencing a flu pandemic, and the federal government will work to identify the cause and create vaccines.
- Explains how the cdc and who investigate the reports of ongoing influenza viruses are by having such cases reported to them and track the activity of such strain of the virus.
1133 wordsRead More - ...influenza pandemic in one way or another; the use of quarantines were extremely prevalent among them. Also, the pandemic is directly responsible for the creation of many health organizations across the globe. The organizations help track and research illnesses across the globe. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for example, strive to prevent epidemics and pandemics. They also provide a governing body with directives to follow in case an outbreak does occur, and if one shall occur the efforts of organizations across the globe will be crucial for its containment. It is amazing that with modern medicine and proper organization that influenza still manages to make its appearance across the globe annually.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the influenza pandemic brought about a change of expectations in the government’s role of protecting and maintaining public health.
- Concludes that the pandemic is directly responsible for the creation of many health organizations across the globe.
- States kent, susan kingsley, the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919: a brief history with documents.
- Explains that the influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 occurred during the midst of world war i, and it would claim more lives than the war itself.
1160 wordsRead More - Influenza A: Pandemics and Epidemicsexplanatory essayTitle Influenza is a serious some time deadly disease that has global circulation and occurs yearly from the late autumn to the early spring and is most commonly referred to as the flu (Bridges, CB. 2002; Rüttimann, R. W., Bonvehí, P. E., Vilar-Compte, D., Isturiz, R. E., Labarca, J. A., & Vidal, E. I., 2013; Pleschka, S., Ludwig, S., Planz, O., & Wolff, T. 2009). There are three genera of influenza: A, B and C (CDC, 2014; Duncan, D 2013). Influenza A and B are the most common infections, furthermore A is more severe than B (CDC, 2014; Duncan, D. 2013). This paper will focus on influenza A as it is the most been responsible for epidemics and pandemics in humans and animals throughout history (Pleschka, S., Ludwig, S., Planz, O., & Wolff, T. 2009). Etiology Influenza A is a virus from the Orthomyxoviridae family that contains three species that were discussed above (Baumen, R. 2014; Duncan, D. 2013; Pleschka, S., Ludwig, S., Planz, O., & Wolff, T. 2009).
In this essay, the author
- Describes the three genera of influenza: a, b, and c. influenza a and b are the most common infections, while a is more severe than b.
- Explains that influenza a is a virus from the orthomyxoviridae family that contains three species that were discussed above.
- Explains that the flu is transferred from infected person to susceptible person by air born droplets that get into the air and are inhaled by another person. influenza a can also be transferred by contact because it can survive on hard nonporous surfaces.
- Explains that influenza a is a respiratory disease that can aggravate underlying medical conditions that affect the respiratory tract.
- Explains that influenza virus uses the glcycoprotiens hemagglutinin (ha) and neuraminidase (na) to get through the mucous layer of the respiratory track.
- Explains that the genome of the flu is highly variable due to a high mutation rate that affects the genes that code for ha and na. the production of new strains of influenza is the result of genetic mutation known as antigenic drift.
- Explains that the symptoms seen in influenza illness are caused by the hosts’ defense mechanisms. the loss of epithelial cells of the respiratory tract triggers the patients’ symptomatic response of decreased, pulmonary function and mucociliary escalator action.
- Explains that influenza is a serious, sometimes deadly disease that infects 1 billion people, three to five million severe cases, and 300 000-500 000 deaths.
- Summarizes moran, t.m., & lopez, c.b. (2009). host immune response to influenza virus.
- Explains that specific immunity plays a substantial role in fighting and future prevention of influenza infection while non-specific defenses support in the battle.
- Opines that health diet and adequate fluid intake are important for factors for recovery from influenza infection. antiviral medications are the best course of action or treatment of complicated influenza infections.
- Summarizes the recommendations of the advisory committee on immunization practices (acip) and the centers for disease control.
- Evaluates the infectivity of pandemic 2009 h1n1 and avian influenza viruses for pigs by ex vivo respiratory tract organ culture.
- Explains that influenza among the elderly in the americas: a consensus statement. the influenza virus: disease, diagnostics, and treatment.
1288 wordsRead More - The Spanish Influenza Pandemicexplanatory essayIn the fall of 1918, as thousands of soldiers were dying in the trenches of Europe, thousands more were dying in the hospitals and barracks of what would come to be known as the “Spanish Influenza.” While the war largely confined its destructive effects to the armies of the United States and Europe, the Spanish influenza showed no restraint to killing men, women, and children all over the world. Over the course of the year, between 20 and 50 million people were killed by the influenza virus. At the time, the virus causing the influenza pandemic was not isolated. By the epidemiology and characteristic symptoms of the disease, observers identified the disease with influenza outbreaks of the past. However, its speed at which it spread, the three epidemic waves in quick succession, and its preference for the young and healthy all suggested that this influenza outbreak was unique.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the spanish influenza pandemic killed between 20 and 50 million people over the course of the year.
- Explains that the 1918 influenza strain offers the potential to understand the connection between how the virus was dealt with in the past and how it is understood today.
- Explains that the spanish influenza swept across the world in three waves between 1918 and 1919. the public health service had just begun to require states and local health departments to report diseases in the community.
- Explains that the spanish influenza pandemic was reached during the fall of 1918. the war effort and limited scientific knowledge contributed to its gravity.
- Explains that physicians assumed horizontal transmission from person to person was spread by sneezing and coughing. scientists and physicians were able to identify causative agents of other diseases that were the cause of the prevalent diseases at the time.
- Explains that pfeiffer's bacillus was claimed to be the root cause of influenza, which is now known as haemophilus influenza.
- Explains that there were no antibiotics to help those stricken with co-infections caused by pneumonia, bronchitis, or antivirals to reduce viral spread and replication.
- Explains that the american health association issued a report outlining appropriate ways to prevent the spread of the influenza epidemic.
- Explains that influenza research led to a better understanding of the influenza virus, with amino acid sequence analysis and phylogenetic analysis.
- Explains that public health is advanced, with better prevention knowledge, influenza surveillance, and trained personnel at all levels. there are established prevention programs featuring annual vaccines and national and international prevention infrastructure.
- Concludes that the 1918 spanish influenza pandemic was a significant milestone in history. it still retains the capacity to remind us how difficult disease prevention and control remain in societies.
1269 wordsRead More - The Spanish Flu - Response to the Influenza of 1918analytical essayThe Response to the Influenza of 1918 At the time, the Influenza of 1918 was called the Spanish Flu. Spain was not involved in the expanding great war (i.e., World War I) and therefore was not censoring it's press. However, Germany, Britain, and America were censoring their newspapers for anything that would lower morale. Therefore, Spain was the first country to publish accounts of the pandemic (Barry 171 and Furman 326), even though the pandemic most likely started in either France or the United States. It was also unique in it's deadliness; it “killed more people in a year than the Black Death of the Middle Ages killed in a century”
In this essay, the author
- Explains that spain was the first country to publish accounts of the pandemic, even though it probably started in france or the united states. the response to the flu was reasonable, given the dire situation.
- Explains that the influenza epidemic in 1918 was a struggle for the united states, germany, and the navy. the virulent strain caused the devastation.
- Explains that the u.s. public health service was able to moderately suppress the disease among the ill soldiers, but as the pandemic progressed, it became too much to control.
- Explains that philadelphia was arguably the hardest hit by the flu. the squalor got worse throughout the pandemic as more people died and doctors and nurses kept getting sick.
- Analyzes how the lack of gravediggers led to a shortage of coffins and the public opinion of the pandemic worsened.
- Explains that the public health service, local officials, and civilian efforts were hampered by the extreme magnitude of the pandemic, but responded in a reasonable way.
- Analyzes how the public health service's response to the overcrowding of persons failed to have enough of an effect.
- Opines that the efforts of the people of america against the pandemic were reasonable, though not as effective as we might hope.
- Explains that they will use this as an extra source to supplement the great influenza and get more detailed information about philadelphia, as well as san francisco if they feel it would be useful.
- Analyzes how the city of philadelphia might use the article to fight the influenza.
- Cites the philadelphia evening bulletin article announcing the first few identified cases of the “spanish flu.”
- Opines that barry's the great influenza : the story of the deadliest pandemic in history will be their main print source.
- Explains furman, bess, a profile of the united states public health service, 1798-1948, district of columbia: national institutes of health, 1973.
1998 wordsRead More - The Importance of the Influenza Vaccineexplanatory essayIllnesses have long haunted the human race. As long as these illnesses have existed, humans have developed ways to cure themselves, beginning with simple herbs and proceeding as far as vaccines and complex medicines. One cure that long eluded scientists was that of the influenza virus. Now, the influenza vaccine, or flu shot, saves thousands of lives a year and helps prevent serious complications resulting from influenza infection.
In this essay, the author
- Explains how the influenza vaccine, or flu shot, saves thousands of lives a year and helps prevent serious complications resulting from influenza infection.
- Explains that the pandemic of 1918 killed twenty-five times more people than the ordinary cough and sneeze flu. the first scientist to solve the enigma of influenza was dr. friedrich johann pfeiffer, who isolated a bacterium from the respiratory tract of those who had the flu in 1890.
- Explains how robert shope, who was distressed at the loss of his mentor, continued the influenza research, believing that the cause of influenza is multifactorial, when a disease has no single cause.
- Explains that influenza is an unusual virus because there are three types a, b and c, which each include individual strains of flu viruses.
- Explains that influenza is a rare type of virus because it copies its genetic material on rna instead of deoxyribonucleic acid, which causes errors to occur each time the virus replicates.
- Explains that influenza is the only infectious disease on the list of leading causes of death, and that the flu shot should be administered to everyone over the age of six months.
- Opines that the flu vaccine has altered the course of human history, saving millions of people who would have perished without its creation.
- Cites kolata, gina. the great influenza pandemic of 1918 and the search for the virus that caused it.
1503 wordsRead More - influenzaanalytical essayThroughout 1918 and 1919, influenza spread quickly in three waves killing an estimated 50 million to 100 million people worldwide. With the best-recorded first case having occurred in Fort Riley, the contagious flu spread across military camps around the United States. Due to the world war, the influenza virus was brought over to Europe where it infected people in nearly every country. This disease would end up causing one of the greatest pandemics in human history, but would also catalyze great advancements in science and medicine.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that influenza spread rapidly in three waves, killing an estimated 50 million to 100 million people worldwide. the contagious flu spread across military camps around the united states.
- Explains that the influenza virus is an enveloped virus that contains eight genes that define what it is. the viral membrane envelope contains the neuraminidase (na) protein, matrix 2 (m2) ion channel, and influenza hemagglutinin (ha).
- Explains that the cell produces viral proteins that will be assembled into more viruses. the neuraminidase breaks up the sialic acid remaining on cell surface so that freshly assembled viruses don't get caught as if on flypaper.
- Analyzes barry's claim that the 1918 influenza pandemic was the first major natural disaster that mankind could confront.
- Opines that medical advancements have led to the development of vaccines, which the u.s. centers for disease control and prevention deems the best way to protect against the influenza virus.
- Analyzes how barry states that the likelihood and potential danger of another influenza pandemic is not reassuring. it feels surreal to think that something as foreign as an epidemic could happen in a place like the united states.
- Concludes that viruses are acellular particles consisting of dna or rna surrounded by protein. they do not have energy metabolism, grow or produce waste products, and don't respond to stimuli.
- Opines that barry's presentation of the science behind the virus in a historical context made the book easier to read and retain the actual scientific facts pertaining to the influenza virus.
1015 wordsRead More