4/18/16
Period 2
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Influenza Catastrophe
From 1918-1919, a deadly, contagious disease, known as the influenza pandemic was spreading at an incredibly fast rate worldwide. There are several names for the flu such as “Spanish Flu”, “Three-Day-Fever”, and “The Flu.” It was first recognized in Europe, the US, and parts of Asia before spreading worldwide. Many of the victims exposed to the disease were young and the adults were healthy. There were no effective medicine to cure or slow down the disease. Since the disease was very deadly and contagious, people had to wear face mask to school, work or any place public in order for them not to contract the disease. Scientist believed that the reason why the influenza virus was so deadly because the virus attacked the victim's lungs and cause pneumonia. It was the most deadly virus outbreak in world history taking out 20% to 40 % of the world's population. Ages 20 to 40 victims with the virus half of the time were fatal. Victims under the age of 65 were likely to die unlike the people who were over the age of 65.
In 1918, the influenza pandemic killed up to 50 million people. Some people took aspirins, oils, …show more content…
When the virus first struck, doctors and scientist were stumped on what was causing the flu and how to cure it. The early symptoms of the flu were a temperature of 102 to 104, sore throat, exhaustion, headache, aching limbs, bloodshot eyes, a cough and sometimes a violent nosebleed. Others may have digestive issues such as vomiting or diarrhea. People who experienced these symptoms made a full recovery. Back then, they didn't have vaccines or any drugs to cure the virus. ”The first licensed flu vaccine appeared in America in the 1940s; by the following decade, vaccine manufacturers could routinely produce vaccines that would help control and prevent future pandemics, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human