The Spanish Flu and the Sanitary Dictatorship: Mexico's Response to the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 443-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan M. Alexander
Keyword(s):  
Causes Of Death ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Secondary Complications ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Spanish Flu ◽  
1918 Influenza ◽  
Combat Casualties ◽  
The Revolution

The influenza of 1918, the disastrous global pandemic known to many as the Spanish Flu, could not have come at a worse time for Mexico. The nation was eight years into its decade-long revolutionary struggle, a conflict that claimed the lives of well over a million citizens. Of those lost, several hundred thousand perished due to the influenza alone, usually from secondary complications such as pneumonia or bronchitis. Along with exposure, famine, and a myriad of other wartime ailments, the 1918 flu ranked as one of the leading causes of death in the Revolution, far surpassing combat casualties.

scholarly journals The comparative analysis of global pandemics of two respective genre 

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 140-143
Author(s):  
Tapash Rudra
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Analysis ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
H1n1 Influenza ◽  
Global Epidemic ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Perfect Order ◽  
The World ◽  
Spanish Flu ◽  
Crucial Part ◽  
H1n1 Influenza Pandemic

The ongoing global pandemic that has been demolishing every aspect of humankind is truly unprecedented. The mankind experienced the variety of catastrophe since last few centuries, however, this deadly epidemic is extremely unique. This is not restricted to a particular geographical periphery, more importantly, it is not ethnicity dependent. If we could revert back, the last global epidemic of such proportion that is Spanish Flu (1918 H1N1 influenza pandemic) had plenty of similarities with the ongoing disaster in terms of the prevalence across the globe, epidemiology and associated attributes. Scientific fraternity across the world is trying the heart out to depict the origin of this deadly disaster but to say the least, there has been more argument than settlement. However, the most crucial part that coincidentally blends both the epidemics in a perfect order is the infodemic that without a shadow of doubt is the most staggering obstacle to deal with. In this paper a comprehensive effort has been put forward to illustrate the comparative analysis between the global pandemics of two respective genre. At the same time, the best possible lay outs have been also discussed to overhaul the ongoing crisis.

scholarly journals Increased frequency of travel in the presence of cross-immunity may act to decrease the chance of a global pandemic

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1775) ◽  
pp. 20180274 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. N. Thompson ◽  
C. P. Thompson ◽  
O. Pelerman ◽  
S. Gupta ◽  
U. Obolski
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Infectious Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Cross Immunity ◽  
1918 Influenza ◽  
And Control ◽  
Epidemic Forecasting

The high frequency of modern travel has led to concerns about a devastating pandemic since a lethal pathogen strain could spread worldwide quickly. Many historical pandemics have arisen following pathogen evolution to a more virulent form. However, some pathogen strains invoke immune responses that provide partial cross-immunity against infection with related strains. Here, we consider a mathematical model of successive outbreaks of two strains—a low virulence (LV) strain outbreak followed by a high virulence (HV) strain outbreak. Under these circumstances, we investigate the impacts of varying travel rates and cross-immunity on the probability that a major epidemic of the HV strain occurs, and the size of that outbreak. Frequent travel between subpopulations can lead to widespread immunity to the HV strain, driven by exposure to the LV strain. As a result, major epidemics of the HV strain are less likely, and can potentially be smaller, with more connected subpopulations. Cross-immunity may be a factor contributing to the absence of a global pandemic as severe as the 1918 influenza pandemic in the century since. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Modelling infectious disease outbreaks in humans, animals and plants: approaches and important themes’. This issue is linked with the subsequent theme issue ‘Modelling infectious disease outbreaks in humans, animals and plants: epidemic forecasting and control’.

The End Has (Not Yet) Come: The 1918 Spanish Flu and the COVID-19 Pandemic in a Brazilian Seventh-day Adventist Bulletin

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-47
Author(s):  
Allan Novaes
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Support ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Seventh Day Adventist ◽  
Concerted Effort ◽  
Societal Values ◽  
Narrative Tradition ◽  
Spanish Flu ◽  
Time Periods ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
1918 Influenza

This is a comparative analysis of similarities and differences between the Brazilian Adventist discourse on the 1918 Influenza pandemic – also known as the Spanish Flu – and the current Brazilian Adventist discourse on the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on how Adventists articulate the distinctive eschatological and sanitary elements of their narrative tradition in order to explain the two crises and to situate themselves in relation to them. The analysis corpus contains select texts published in Revista Adventista, the official bulletin of Brazilian Seventh-day Adventists, pertaining to two time periods: 1918–1920 and the first quarter of 2020. Both materials present pandemic crises as opportunities for evangelism since they display the understanding that societal values and paradigms become less impervious to religion in such conditions. But they differ in the fact that the 1918–1920 material concentrates on religious expansion and doctrine, especially emphasising the message of impending judgement of a Great Controversy metanarrative, while the 2020 material explores the medical and humanitarian aspects connected to the pandemic, transcending a purely eschatological emphasis and accommodating a concerted effort to give the readers emotional support to face the pandemic.

scholarly journals The parallels between COVID-19 and the Spanish flu of 1918

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. 4687
Author(s):  
Markordor Lyngdoh
Keyword(s):  
Vaccine Development ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
World Health ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The World ◽  
Spanish Flu ◽  
Avian Origin ◽  
1918 Influenza ◽  
Novel Coronavirus ◽  
Health Organization

The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. On the other hand, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by a novel coronavirus hailed by the world health organization as a “once in a century health crisis” which has led to devastating impacts to health and livelihood the world over. The prevailing situation is reminiscent of the Spanish flu where definitive cure is unavailable and the public health measures like quarantine, social distancing, hand hygiene and isolation are the only alternatives. Both these diseases are transmitted through respiratory droplets, highly contagious and target the respiratory organs. The parallels between these two events cannot be denied. The Spanish flu thrived at a time when the knowledge and availability of antivirals and vaccine development were inadequate. This article strives to highlight a little more on these two separate pandemics and observe their similarities as well as their differences.

The 1918 Influenza Pandemic Versus COVID-19: A Historical Perspective From an Italian Point of View

2021 ◽  
pp. e1-e9
Author(s):  
Andrea Cozza ◽  
Giuseppe Maggioni ◽  
Gaetano Thiene ◽  
Maurizio Rippa Bonati
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
H1n1 Influenza ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
World Health ◽  
Journal Articles ◽  
National Guidelines ◽  
History Of ◽  
Spanish Flu ◽  
1918 Influenza ◽  
Health Organization

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has a major precedent almost exactly a century ago: the world-famous H1N1 influenza virus pandemic, sometimes known to the general public as the Spanish flu. From a history of medicine perspective, it is possible to underline many potential common traits between the two. In this article, hygiene and prophylaxis strategies are analyzed in a review of the most popular Italian general medical journals at the time of Spanish flu, Il Policlinico being the most representative of them. The analysis included 40 original journal articles as well as important references to the most influential coeval national manuals and international journals. The main issues in the context of public hygiene are prophylaxis with quinine and quinine derivatives, vaccinations, face masks, disinfection, and social distancing. We draw a comparison between these and the most recent international World Health Organization and Italian national guidelines on the topic. Sadly, little has changed since those times in terms of most of the prevention techniques, even with technical improvements, showing how shortsighted doctors and physicians can be when dealing with medical history. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print September 2, 2021: e1–e9. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306455 )

scholarly journals Looking back to the future? Possible pandemic scenarios from the past with relevance for autumn/winter 2021, and the years ahead

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaspar Staub
Keyword(s):  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Similar Data ◽  
The Past ◽  
Swiss Canton ◽  
Morbidity Data ◽  
Spanish Flu ◽  
To Come ◽  
1918 Influenza ◽  
Past Experiences ◽  
Autumn And Winter

In many places the current coronavirus pandemic is the most severe pandemic since the 1918 influenza pandemic (“Spanish flu”). In many European countries before 2020, past experiences with pandemics had not been sufficiently studied and were no longer present in the minds of the general public or authorities. This article highlights scenarios from the past that may offer guidance as we move towards autumn and winter 2021. High quality morbidity data from the Swiss canton of Bern 1918-1930 is re-used here and complemented with similar data from 1957, SARS-CoV-2 data from 2020, as well as temperature series for all three years. A first possible scenario that emerges from experiences in all three pandemic years is that the onset of the fall waves at the beginning of October, occurred 0-2 weeks after the first drop in temperatures at the end of September (calendar week 39). This temporal coincidence can also be coincidental, and does not imply causality. However, this risk is also present for the coming autumn of 2021, all the more so if the case numbers will not be low everywhere then because of the delta variant. When temperatures start to fall, people will stay indoors more, which will increase the risk of infection for the unprotected or only partially protected subgroups of the population. In the winter of 1920, the influenza virus returned in the form of a relatively strong “echo” wave probably due to incomplete immunization of the population and/or virus mutations, and thereafter in the form of milder seasonal waves. This is a second scenario that many experts also consider possible for SARS-CoV-2. We do not know yet what will happen in autumn/winter 2021 and in the years to come. However, the past at least provides some scenarios of what happened in partly comparable situations in 1918 and thereafter. To not at least consider these possible scenarios in pandemic planning for the coming period would be a missed opportunity.

scholarly journals Increased frequency of travel in the presence of cross-immunity may act to decrease the chance of a global pandemic

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.N. Thompson ◽  
C.P. Thompson ◽  
O. Pelerman ◽  
S. Gupta ◽  
U. Obolski
Keyword(s):  
Mathematical Model ◽  
Immune Responses ◽  
High Frequency ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Pathogen Evolution ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
High Virulence ◽  
Cross Immunity ◽  
1918 Influenza ◽  
Pathogen Strains

ABSTRACTThe high frequency of modern travel has led to concerns about a devastating pandemic since a lethal pathogen strain could spread worldwide quickly. Many historical pandemics have arisen following pathogen evolution to a more virulent form. However, some pathogen strains invoke immune responses that provide partial cross-immunity against infection with related strains. Here, we consider a mathematical model of successive outbreaks of two strains – a low virulence strain outbreak followed by a high virulence strain outbreak. Under these circumstances, we investigate the impacts of varying travel rates and cross-immunity on the probability that a major epidemic of the high virulence strain occurs, and the size of that outbreak. Frequent travel between subpopulations can lead to widespread immunity to the high virulence strain, driven by exposure to the low virulence strain. As a result, major epidemics of the high virulence strain are less likely, and can potentially be smaller, with more connected subpopulations. Cross-immunity may be a factor contributing to the absence of a global pandemic as severe as the 1918 influenza pandemic in the century since.

scholarly journals Connectivity and seasonality: the 1918 influenza and COVID-19 pandemics in global perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 408-420
Author(s):  
Siddharth Chandra ◽  
Julia Christensen ◽  
Shimon Likhtman
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Diseases ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Dominant Role ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
Compartmental Models ◽  
Global Perspective ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
1918 Influenza

AbstractThe goal of this article is to demonstrate the value of a global perspective on pandemics for understanding how global pandemics caused by novel viruses can unfold. Using the example of the 1918 influenza pandemic, two factors that were central to the evolving pattern of global pandemic waves, connectivity and seasonality, are explored. Examples of the influences of these factors on pandemic waves in different locations are presented. Viewing the 1918 pandemic through the lens of compartmental models of infectious diseases, our analysis suggests that connectivity played a dominant role in the initial stages. With the passage of time and the progressive infection and consequent immunization of more and more people, however, the role of seasonality increased in importance, ultimately becoming the driving force behind the emergence of future waves of infection. Implications of these observations for pandemics caused by novel viruses such as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic are discussed.

scholarly journals Spanish ’Flu in Scotland: A Lanarkshire Case Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-86
Author(s):  
Katharine Mccrossan
Keyword(s):  
Human Impact ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Medical Profession ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
State Intervention ◽  
Spanish Flu ◽  
1918 Influenza ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

The purpose of this article is to explore the impact that the 1918 influenza pandemic (otherwise known as the ‘Spanish ‘Flu’) had on the Scottish county of Lanarkshire. Despite being one of the most devastating events in modern history, to date little is known about the experience of the disease in Scotland. Structured in two parts, part one of this article will examine the human impact of the Spanish ’Flu within Lanarkshire, while part two focuses on the official responses to the pandemic from both the medical profession and local civic government. In doing so, this article will demonstrate that the Spanish ’Flu generated a high level of mortality amongst the population of Lanarkshire, placed great strain on medical services, and exposed tensions between local and central government at a time of increasing state intervention.

scholarly journals Did the 1918 influenza cause the twentieth century cardiovascular mortality epidemic in the United States?

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2531 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Tate ◽  
Jamie J. Namkung ◽  
Andrew Noymer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Cardiovascular Mortality ◽  
Death Rate ◽  
Causes Of Death ◽  
Influenza Pandemic ◽  
The United States ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
1918 Influenza

During most of the twentieth century, cardiovascular mortality increased in the United States while other causes of death declined. By 1958, the age-standardized death rate (ASDR) for cardiovascular causes for females was 1.84 times that for all other causes,combined(and, for males, 1.79×). Although contemporary observers believed that cardiovascular mortality would remain high, the late 1950s and early 1960s turned out to be the peak of a roughly 70-year epidemic. By 1988 for females (1986 for males), a spectacular decline had occurred, wherein the ASDR for cardiovascular causes was less than that for other causes combined. We discuss this phenomenon from a demographic point of view. We also test a hypothesis from the literature, that the 1918 influenza pandemic caused the cardiovascular mortality epidemic; we fail to find support.

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