What can we learn from the second wave of “Spanish”?

The 1918 flu, known as the “Spanish” or “Great Flu”, was one of the first global pandemics and in just a few months it spread throughout the world. Some researchers believe that a billion people could have fallen ill, or 2/3 of the earth’s inhabitants at that time, and 100 million would have died. It is generally estimated that the “Spanish” killed 30-50 million people and infected another 500 million. If these proportions were translated into the modern human population, there would be 430 million victims, which is slightly less than the total population of the European Union – today there are 466 million.

1. In 1918, there was little knowledge of doctors and microbiologists about viruses. Research on the coronavirus is still ongoing today
2. Epidemiologists today believe that during the “Spanish” people did not maintain a social distance, which caused a second, much more serious wave of the pandemic
3. An effective drug has not yet been invented to fight the coronavirus, as in the case of the “Spanish”
4. You can find more such stories on the TvoiLokony home page

The “Spanish” also ran with complications

The cause of the “Spanish” in the early twentieth century was the flu virus of the H1N1 type. It was most likely built in 1918 in one of the military bases in the north of France and was the result of the so-called Antigenic jump, i.e. a rapid mutation of avian influenza viruses from different parts of the world of human influenza varieties. This mutation originally took place in the pig’s body.

The human immune system did not recognize the new variant of the virus, and it was extremely aggressive.

Influenza caused by it was complicated, including hemorrhagic pneumonia.

In 1918, the knowledge of doctors and microbiologists about viruses was poor. Influenza was thought to have been caused by infectious particles slightly smaller than bacteria, and treatments for it today are astonishing.

How was a “Spanish” treated? Aspirin, broth, bloodletting

For example, she considered herself a medicine. The King of Norway, Haakon VII, even suspended the prohibition in force in the country, and gave his subjects half a bottle of cognac.

In the event of complications, the doctors acted in the dark: they administered aspirin, used the first imperfect respirators, and they were bleeding blood.

The effects were sometimes tragic, and patients often died not from the flu, but from complications after taking too high doses of aspirin or bleeding out.

Home methods were also used. Doctors recommended staying in bed and drinking plenty of fluids and eating nutritious broth. However, in Europe, ravaged by war, there was a hunger, so it was difficult to obtain this “cure”.

The «Great Flu» and the war

The “Spaniard” took over the world during the First World War.

This was connected with the increased displacement of soldiers from the armies of many countries and civilians who traveled great distances. And that favored the spread of the virus.

Most governments then ordered their citizens to wear masks and banned spitting in public places. Failure to comply with the recommendations was punishable by a fine.

We are not waging a global war today. But has the Spanish pandemic taught mankind anything?

1. The editorial board recommends: If the “Spanish” exploded now, there would be 430 million deaths

Pandemics give a boost to science

According to historian Łukasz Mieszkowski from the Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences, the author of the book «The greatest. The Spanish pandemic on the threshold of independent Poland “, a positive aspect of the” Spanish “pandemic was that it gave scientists an impetus to further research on the disease.

The discovery of the influenza virus in 1933 was a milestone on the way to unraveling the mystery of> Spanish <. interestingly the discovery of bodies pandemic victims in permafrost alaska and spitsbergen undamaged pathogens preserved their lungs made it possible to read complete genetic code virus from>

– Mieszkowski writes.

And he adds that “thanks to these achievements and the achievements of surgery, pharmacology and medical technology, humanity, at least theoretically, has a complete set of tools to effectively fight the flu and its complications, from vaccines to extracorporeal blood oxygenation systems”.

After the big holiday, the flu came back

Modern experts in the field of epidemiology believe that during the “Spanish” people did not maintain a social distance, which caused the second wave of the pandemic.

The disease recurrence in the XNUMXth century – just like today – was much more serious.

American epidemiologist Dr. Larry Brilliant spoke to CNN about one of the events: “In San Francisco, when the number of Spanish flu cases has dropped to almost nil, the city fathers said: let’s open up the city, let’s have a big parade in the city center, let’s all take off the masks together” . After a big celebration, the flu has returned.

The analogy arises: the presidential campaign and the November elections in the US took place in the midst of a pandemic, and people attending various rallies did not keep their distance, not all of them were wearing masks.

Effect? Record high infection rates in the USA.

In Poland, the last days have been marked by mass protests following the ruling of the Constitutional Tribunal, which tightened abortion regulations. Some experts believe that this will contribute to an increase in the number of cases in our country, while others believe that the strikes will not have a significant impact.

1. See also: Will the protests in Poland increase the incidence of COVID-19?

Searching for an effective drug

An effective drug has not yet been invented against the coronavirus, as it used to be “Spanish”.

More than a hundred years ago, various “inventions” were used, and today the effectiveness of medical preparations is under discussion. For example, about amantadine, used in the case of people suffering from Parkinson’s disease, or about hydroxychloroquine, which treats malaria, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

1. What you need to know: A doctor from Przemyśl caused a storm by writing that COVID-19 can be cured in 48 hours. What do we know about this drug?

When reports emerged that hydroxychloroquine was helping to fight the coronavirus, some took the drug at their own discretion. Until it turned out that the drug does not help at all, and even harms.

There was also a lot of talk about the drug remdesivir, so far used in the treatment of Ebola. This one, too, proved ineffective, as were the drugs conventionally used to treat HIV.

It is still unknown which medications are causing more harm than good in the fight against coronavirus, but it is encouraging that researchers believe a vaccine for the coronavirus will be available in the coming weeks.

«Big Flu» the most dangerous pandemic in history?

Professor John M. Barry from the University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine points out another analogy linking “Spanish” with the coronavirus.

In his book, The Big Flu: A Story of the Most Dangerous Pandemic Ever, Barry writes that the Spanish pandemic has killed many young, theoretically healthy people.

Scientists from the American University of Wisconsin-Madison came to similar conclusions.

According to research, about two-thirds of deaths from “Spanish” were people aged 28. And that it wasn’t the virus that was responsible, but their own immune system.

Studies show that also with COVID-19, many young people have a very severe disease, and many patients between the ages of 20 and 39 die.

This is due to the body’s strong defensive reaction. In medicine, it is called a cytokine storm, because it is young people who have the most powerful immune system.

1. The editorial board recommends: Why do young people without comorbidities die from the coronavirus?

Both pandemics are of animal origin

In turn, two American virologists – David Morens and Jeffery Taubenberger of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases – stated in the “New England Journal of Medicine” that such a pandemic as in 1918 could happen in the world at virtually any moment.

The Spanish woman was a zoonotic disease and her reservoir was waterfowl. And research shows that dangerous flu strains are still circulating in nature. And it is impossible to eliminate them, because killing half of the animals in the world is impossible.

This may interest you:

1. History repeats itself. Here are what conspiracy theories were circulating around the world during the Spanish
2. “We can treat the Spanish epidemic as a warning”
3. During the Spanish epidemic, people refused to wear face masks. How did it end?

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