In the deadly wave of the 1918 flu pandemic, millions of people were doomed because they did not know what we know now about how viruses and respiratory diseases spread.
The 1918 pandemic appeared in three waves, from the spring of 1918 to the winter of 1919, killing 50-100 million people worldwide. The first wave in the spring of 1918 was relatively mild. Most of the 1918 flu deaths occurred in the fall of 1918 - the second and worst wave of the 1918 flu.
Why the second wave was so deadly
There are several possibilities as to why the second wave of 1918 was so terrible. For example, winter would mean that the flu would spread more and people would stay indoors more often.
A major obstacle was the lack of knowledge about the character, behavior, and severity of the virus. The pandemic came before awareness of what a virus looked like and how it is isolated.
Even health experts expect the number of people infected with Covid to increase this winter, because according to them, the virus that causes Covid-19 is a coronavirus, and other coronaviruses spread more during the winter. In winter, less humid air, virus-carrying particles can stay in the air longer. Moreover, our nasal membranes are drier and more vulnerable to infection in winter.
Social impact
The 1918 flu "abducted the young population." Approximately half of the deaths were between the ages of 20-40, in contrast to the current pandemic, where older people are more likely to experience the disease more seriously.
Authorities enacted masking laws and punitive measures, including fines. The world lost generations of young people and for them, the pandemic and the First World War became the main life experiences.
The advantage of modern days
Now, let’s move forward, to 2020. Numerous scientific advances have allowed us an easy advantage in mitigating the spread and effects of respiratory diseases like influenza and Covid-19.
Microbiologists can now isolate, identify, and describe the structure of viruses.
Although we have coronavirus tests, one drawback is "we do not have enough testing skills and the tests take too long.
Çfarë mund të bëjmë?
Megjithëse rastet e Covid-19 janë në rritje dhe mund të rriten këtë dimër, ka disa gjëra bazike që mund të bëjmë për të ndaluar përhapjen.
Masat paraprake si distancimi fizik, shmangia e grumbullimeve dhe udhëtimet e panevojshme, larja e duarve dhe mbajtja e maskave janë akoma të rëndësishme.
Furnizimi me ushqime për një periudhë të caktuar kohe dhe të paturit disa mjekime bazë në raste emergjencash, mund të ndihmojnë në uljen e lëvizjëss së shpeshtë në dyqane, duke ulur kështu shanset e përhapjes.
Në vitin 1918, nuk kishte një vaksinë të aprovuar dhe të rregulluar. Tani, flitet çdo ditë për prodhimin e vaksianve të reja.
Operation Warp Speed ??dhe programe të tjera janë duke testuar vaksinat për të qenë në gjendje t’i shpërndajnë ato për publikun e gjerë potencialisht, deri në pranverën e vitit 2021.
What is still of great value is taking into account the updates and guidance of your local public health authorities, and the scientific knowledge of researchers and organizations.
Source: CNN
