What We Can Learn from the 1918 Flu Pandemic During the COVID Pandemic
Historically, pandemics last around 2 and half years to 3 and a half years before they begin to weaken in the level of unmanageability. After some time, exposure has increased as well as the number of mutations the virus has gone through and the virus causing a pandemic becomes less life-threatening.
The influenza pandemic of 1918 lasted about 18 months before it began to weaken, virologists are hoping that this is what is beginning to happen with the COVID-19 pandemic. Early reports of those infected with the Omicron variant suggest that the virus could be becoming less life-threatening with many reports of infection being mild.
“The overall public messages during 1918 and 2020/21 were eerily similar in some respects: Face coverings, mass gathering cancellations, and isolation at home were employed during both,” said Richard J. Webby, PhD, an influenza researcher at St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Tennessee.
Generally, the virus that caused the 1918 flu pandemic is still circulating today, weaker and much more manageable. Today, COVID-19 has not surpassed the death count caused by the Spanish Flu worldwide, but it has surpassed the United States’ death count. COVID has killed more than 680,000 people in the U.S; the Spanish flu took 675,000 lives. Some speculation on why COVID-19 has been more severe in the U.S. are higher rates of travel, higher infectiousness, and the common spread of misinformation regarding COVID-19 and its therapeutic remedies.
Even with this possibility, there is no way to truly predict how a pandemic will play out or if this is what is occurring with the coronavirus. There are also many considerations of 2021 that were not involved in the 1918 pandemic such as high levels of international travel, vaccines, data, and therapeutic remedies.
Though there are a lot of similarities between the Spanish flu and COVID-19, it is important not to create too close comparisons between the two. With different etiologies, different severities, and a different time altogether, creating up-to-date and effective remedies and preventative measures will help find the best ways to be safe during the pandemic.
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