Epidemic of 1918
The flu epidemic of 1918 came as a result of hemagglutinin 1 neuraminidase 1 (H1N1) virus strain . The reason Spanish flu was so devastating when compared to other flu strains, was due to this strain being new to humans and thus population have not developed natural resistance to it. It is hypothesized that the reason this strain was new to humans is because it has crossed from birds to swine to humans . Conservative estimates from United States Department of Health and Human services estimated the worldwide death toll to be 30-50 million with the death toll in Unites States being 675,000 as a consequence of the pandemic. In comparison the World War I (1914-1918) death toll was 8.5 million worldwide with 116.5 thousand being …show more content…
This meant that cities were growing bigger and welcoming cheap immigrant labor. Coincidently in early 1900s Mexico and Russia have started to undergo revolutions in their countries which meant an even greater influx of immigrants to the United States, of those trying to escape the combat. This and other immigration has caused the population of America to more than double between the years of 1880 and 1920 . The higher population caused more pollution in the cities and their water supply. High population density also made it easier for disease to migrate from person to person. This combined with lack of doctors and anxiety due to the war ensured optimal conditions for the Spanish flu to hit the United States. Other industrialized countries similarly experienced the amplified effect of the disease, due to the similar …show more content…
These campaigns were launched by the government on Minnesota wide basis encouraging use of gauze masks, more stringent sanitation laws, and vaccination complains (despite flu not being a bacterial disease; which was not known at the time). Guides on how to use the gauze masks were also given out, telling people to boil their masks after they take it off . Citizens were advocating for gauze masks more than doctors that only recommended masks to be used in hospital settings or on persons suspected to be sick. People wanted to use masks at all times leading shortages of these masks . Finally both Saint Paul and Minneapolis gave physicians free inoculation to give to their patients, and teachers that were out of jobs due to closing of the schools started volunteering to educate the sick and healthy on sanitary habits of not drinking water out of public cups, roller towels and encouraged covering the mouth when you sneeze . Keeping community involved and not falling apart despite the inability to meet in public places insured that everyone was up to date and with a common goal in
The flu epidemic of 1918 came as a result of hemagglutinin 1 neuraminidase 1 (H1N1) virus strain . The reason Spanish flu was so devastating when compared to other flu strains, was due to this strain being new to humans and thus population have not developed natural resistance to it. It is hypothesized that the reason this strain was new to humans is because it has crossed from birds to swine to humans . Conservative estimates from United States Department of Health and Human services estimated the worldwide death toll to be 30-50 million with the death toll in Unites States being 675,000 as a consequence of the pandemic. In comparison the World War I (1914-1918) death toll was 8.5 million worldwide with 116.5 thousand being …show more content…
This meant that cities were growing bigger and welcoming cheap immigrant labor. Coincidently in early 1900s Mexico and Russia have started to undergo revolutions in their countries which meant an even greater influx of immigrants to the United States, of those trying to escape the combat. This and other immigration has caused the population of America to more than double between the years of 1880 and 1920 . The higher population caused more pollution in the cities and their water supply. High population density also made it easier for disease to migrate from person to person. This combined with lack of doctors and anxiety due to the war ensured optimal conditions for the Spanish flu to hit the United States. Other industrialized countries similarly experienced the amplified effect of the disease, due to the similar …show more content…
These campaigns were launched by the government on Minnesota wide basis encouraging use of gauze masks, more stringent sanitation laws, and vaccination complains (despite flu not being a bacterial disease; which was not known at the time). Guides on how to use the gauze masks were also given out, telling people to boil their masks after they take it off . Citizens were advocating for gauze masks more than doctors that only recommended masks to be used in hospital settings or on persons suspected to be sick. People wanted to use masks at all times leading shortages of these masks . Finally both Saint Paul and Minneapolis gave physicians free inoculation to give to their patients, and teachers that were out of jobs due to closing of the schools started volunteering to educate the sick and healthy on sanitary habits of not drinking water out of public cups, roller towels and encouraged covering the mouth when you sneeze . Keeping community involved and not falling apart despite the inability to meet in public places insured that everyone was up to date and with a common goal in