Originally posted by MarkJerling There were several things that made the 1918-1919 flu worse than other H1N1 flu strains:
Firstly, it killed many younger (healthy) people, where most flu strains seem to kill health and/or immune compromised individuals.
Secondly, it's the only flue strain I know of that caused haemorrhaging of mucous membranes. People were dying literally bleeding through their ears, mouth, nose, etc.
My grandparents met during the 1918-1919 flu. They were tasked by their church to take food to people's homes - people who were too sick to look after themselves. My granny said that they went to many houses, knocked and went inside to find entire families dead in their beds. Even though they must have both been exposed to the virus multiple times neither my grandfather or grandmother got very ill.
I know; at my mom's village some houses were bringing out three twenty-year olds out in pine boxes in a matter of weeks... terrible pandemic indeed.
Still, we have to take into account several things:
- As I said, no antibiotics to minimize the risk of bacterial pneumonia (which is really not a nice thing to have and more or less a death sentence).
- The bleeding should be consistent with either pneumococcal pneumonia, but also possibly because of cytokine release. If you have many different types of pathogen (flu virus + different bacteria) I can imagine that will compound the issue as the body will go crazy trying to stop them and metaphorically explode.
- General undernourishment of the population, with far worse hygiene standards
- The general kerfuffle around Europe tying up medical resources and dominating the media (let's not forget that the Spanish flu was so called because many other countries was busy suppressing the information as they at war... it did not originate in Spain but Spain was the first to "admit" there was a problem)
Honestly, we've seen what the H5N1 ("avian flu", about... 60% mortality it was?) does, we've seen what the H1N1 did in 2009 (same strain as the 1918 one). We are far better equipped to deal with any kind of pandemic than we were in 1918.
---------- Post added 04-24-20 at 06:14 PM ----------
Originally posted by mkgd1 My grandpa told be he had the Spanish flu, he joked that it was not his biggest problem. He was on the Somme with the "Pals" brigades for the whole of the battle there and was "upgraded to Ypres where he caught it, he said they called it 3 day fever. Strange that there were no more casualties in the trenches since the conditions were appalling.
I really don't want to think about what life in the Somme was like. Particularly if you happened to be British... About the trench mortality, there's always the matter of "how many deaths will the lads think are acceptable for this front?"
It wouldn't be the first time that it's "all quiet on the Western front", huh...
---------- Post added 04-24-20 at 06:17 PM ----------
Originally posted by dstar Funny I just remember 1960 in my child time in Russia
My mom she was a doctor use UV light in Russia call Кварц therapy for treatment oral and nasal infection
Just remember black glasses to protect eye and long tube with UV light go to nose and mouth
May same call now photo therapy
But another point when I watch Euro news hundred people spray staff on the street plaza airport it not here in US A or
And SouthKorea hospital big robot machine with power UV light moving across hospital floor
Well, UV light is very good at disinfecting. The problem is that it's very... indiscriminate in its job
. Exposing the delicate lung tissue to it would be a terrible idea.