1918 Spanish Flu vs. Mexican Flu: Part 2
"...Influenza pandemics have occurred as far back in history as we can look, but the four we know about in detail happened in 1889, 1918, 1957 and 1968. The mildest of these, the so-called Hong Kong flu in 1968, killed about 35,000 people in the United States and 700,000 worldwide. Ordinary seasonal influenza, in comparison, now kills 36,000 Americans a year, because the population has a higher proportion of elderly people and others with weak immune systems...
...All four of the well-known pandemics seem to have come in waves. The 1918 virus surfaced by March and set in motion a spring and summer wave that hit some communities and skipped others. This first wave was extremely mild, more so even than ordinary influenza: Of the 10,313 sailors in the British Grand Fleet who became ill, for example, only four died. But autumn brought a second, more lethal wave, which was followed by a less severe third wave in early 1919..."
In other words, it ain't over 'til it's over, with a summary position of "we better be making that vaccine right now."
2 comments:
Mad - thanks for putting this up. The concern right now is the mutation phase the virus is in right now. My personal concern is that it mutates with something other than an influenza bug. Everything else, I cannot write because it sounds way too crazy - gonna have to wait and see.
As a proud participant in the Swine Flu Freak Out of the Ford Administration, I'm not overly concerned; however, a small chance of disaster is still a small chance of disaster and must be avoided at all costs. So-- let's encourage vigilance!
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