Essay On Influenza In 1918

Words: 740
Pages: 3

The influenza of 1918-1919, a pandemic. What was different about the virus in 1918 than now? Our viruses were circulating among the nation. Vaccination is offered. Influenza pandemic immerges through a new virus that has no immune protection. What was so special about this influenza virus? One of the most virulent strains of influenza in history swooped the world in waves during 1918. During WWI, the 1918 strain of pandemic influenza found many ways to spread through the war. During this time of the war, science wasn’t advanced like it is today. There were no cure; medical personnel had no idea of how to treat the sick and how to fight this disease. Because of this, the flu began to spread and infected millions and killed at a rate …show more content…
During the video, one of the speakers stated that almost every woman that was pregnant did not survive the flu virus. In the 1918 flu virus, it was the responsibility of each family to take care of themselves. There were no hospitals or clinics that we could run our families to get help. There were medical advances as we have today. One, thing that caught my attention was that the sidewalks in certain cities were lines with coffins. The epidemic did cause the communities to come together because everyone was helping one another. The lack of trained personnel caused women to volunteer to help out. These women that volunteered were crucial to the treatment of their area. They were needed and were putting themselves at risk to help others. The single most important thing of the flu of 1918, was the nursing care you received. When, this was said in the video, I though wow. Good nursing care is what helped a lot of the people to survive. The younger aged individuals were the ones that were affected more than the elderly. The pandemic has caused today, more knowledge about the influenza. We have biomedical healthcare and medical advances now. The antiviral drugs were not available then as they are now. Technology now has caused the flu to be