“Pandemic influenza is by nature an international issue; it requires an international solution” - Margret Chan. Influenza is a very contagious viral infection that occurred 1918- 1919. Some of the main areas that were affected were central Africa, southern parts of Asia, and the Oceana. Influenza greatly affected many things in good and bad ways, but as humans we are always curious and always finding ways to improve and move on. The influenza outbreak showed us how important it is to keep up with personal hygiene and cleanliness. after the outbreak people learned that personal hygiene was very important and had a big part in the outbreak. according to centers for disease control and prevention people would start to learn good habits to keeping clean and free of sickness, some examples are to avoid close contact with people that are sick, cover your …show more content…
world war 1 claimed an estimated 16 million lives gone. the influenza outbreak in 1918 killed an estimated 50 million people, one fifth of the world's population. the age group of young adults, elderly and young children normally aren't affected by this disease but in this case they were the most affected. scientists, doctors and nurses didn't know what the disease was when it first started to infect people. nurses would help the doctors by following them to every patient and assisted them with the sick patients. in the early stages of the pandemic physicians may have diagnosed their patients wrong, they didn't have as many resources that we have now. the baby boom of 1920 is often overlooked because of the attention that went to the baby boom after the second world war. families began to have children and try to bring back some of the population that was lost during the influenza outbreak. even though the influenza outbreak killed nearly a quarter of the world's population people still came together to improve and bring the population
World War I was a very deadly war with over 100 million human casualties(deaths plus injured). Therefore war is a very transformative event for humanity, because it always affects individuals, societies, and even the world in a pessimistic way.
The Influenza virus is a unique respiratory viral disease that can have serious economic and social disruption to society. The virus is airborne transmitted through droplets release by coughing or sneezing from an infected person or by touching infected surfaces. Symptoms range from mild to severe and may even result in death. People with the virus usually experience fever, headache, shivering, muscle pain and cough, which can lead to more severe respiratory illness such as pneumonia. People most susceptible to the flu virus are elderly individuals and young children as well as anyone whose health or immune system has been compromise. The most effective way to counteract the influenza virus is to get the flu vaccine which is available by shots or nasal spray before the flu season as well as practicing safe hygiene. (CDC, 2013)
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 estimates place the number of victims anywhere from 25 to 100 million. More than 25 percent of the U.S. population became sick, and some 675,000 Americans died during the pandemic. The 1918 flu was first observed in Europe, the U.S. and parts of Asia before swiftly spreading around the world. Surprisingly, many flu victims were young, otherwise healthy adults. At the time, there were no effective drugs or vaccines to treat this killer flu strain or prevent its spread. In the U.S., citizens were ordered to wear masks, and schools, theaters and other public
--------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Essen, G. A., "The Socio-Economic Impact of Influenza". http://www.eswi.org/Bulletin_October_1997.cfm [2] Frayha, Husn. " Influenza Vaccination: A Call for Action" http://www.kfshrc.edu.sa/annals/176/97-248R.html [3] "Influenza". http://www.caw.ca/whatwedo/health&safety/factsheet/hsfssubstanceno37.asp
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.
Previous influenza epidemics had a mortality rate less than 0.1%, but this virus had a mortality rate of 2.5%. The virus was extremely devastating and killed many people, but there were some good things that came out of it. Influenza caused the United States Public Health Service (PHS) to expand and develop. The PHS has provided financial assistance to hospitals; developed sanitation programs; conducted surveillance of infectious diseases; and delivered high-quality healthcare to those that needed it. After the years of the disease, the American public health policy improved a lot, and the virus taught America important lessons which proved essential to the maintenance of a healthy population.
The Great War rages on. An influenza epidemic claims the lives of several Americans. But, the Boston Red Sox have done it again. Last night, in a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs at Fenway Park (thanks to Carl Mays' three-hitter), the Boston Red Sox won their fifth World Series championship--amid death and disease, a reason to live ... Babe Ruth and the 1918 Red Sox. If I die today, at least I lived to see the Sox win the championship. For, it could be a long, long, time before this happens again.
...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.
These pieces of history may have faded from memory, but with the upcoming threat of an avian flu that can jump from human to human, people must learn from the past to combat the future. From the time of its first recorded incident in 412 BC (Adams 1) to 1918, influenza was never taken seriously. With symptoms similar to the common cold, most people disregarded influenza as a minor illness, nothing more. As Lynette Iezzoni quoted in her book, Influenza 1918, influenza was thought to be “quite a Godsend! Everybody ill, nobody dying” besides the very old and feeble (16).
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 influenza are very contagious, they can spread easily from hcw to Patient and back to hcw. The most efficient and effective method of preventing influenza infection is vaccination(The best way to prevent influenza is with annual vaccination).(Sullivan,2010) (Gregory,Tosh &Jacobson, 2005). Motivated by a desire to actively avoid illness Influenza may increase the risk for death in people with existing heart, lung, or circulation disorders. In fact, the higher than average number of winter deaths in people with heart disease may be due only to the occurrence of influenza during those months.Vaccination provides immunity to fight against infection.To increase resistance to harm by modifying the environment to minimize preventable illness (NEED TO CHANGE WORDING)
Medical officials agree that one of the characteristic features of the influenza is its air-born infectivity. "One case to-day may mean a hundred to-morrow and thousands within a week," according to the chief medical officer of the Local Government Board. To protect oneself against the infectious illness that can spread without direct contact with the sick, it is recommended that people situate themselves in well-ventilated rooms. However, once you have contracted the disease, you are to quarantine yourself in an isolated home.5 Other symptoms of influenza include extreme exhaustion, aching limbs, headaches and sometimes, inflammation of nasal mucous membranes.6
Influenza is defined as an acute, commonly epidemic disease, occurring in several forms, caused by numerous rapidly mutating viral strains and characterized by respiratory symptoms and general prostration. Spanish flu was more than just a normal epidemic, it was a pandemic. Epidemics affect many people at the same time in areas where the disease doesn’t normally occur. A pandemic is an epidemic on a national, international, or global scale. The Spanish flu was different from the seasonal flu in one especially frightening way, there was an unusually high death rate among healthy adults aged 15 to 34 and lowered the life expectancy by more than ten years. Such a high death rate has not occurred in this age group in and epidemic prior to or since the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918. (Tumpey, 2005)
Illnesses 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.
“The Site of Origin of The 1918 Influenza Pandemic and Its Public Health Implications.” Barry, John. US national Library of Health Medicine, January 20, 2004. Retrieved from:
Swine Flu is an interesting disease to research as it sounds like it could be a serious life threatening pandemic. There was an outbreak in 2008 and I remember it being on TV. Swine Flu also known as H1N1 was known as a pandemic in 2008. A pandemic is a wide spread outbreak of an infectious disease. Swine Flu is a highly contagious respiratory disease, it can be transferred from human contact, droplets from a cough or sneeze and from surfaces that have come into contact with infected droplets i.e. tables, phones, handrails, tissues etc., the disease can live for about 2 hours outside