Running head: RESPIRATORY VIRAL PANDEMICS: THEN AND NOW 1
Respiratory Viral Pandemics: Then and Now
Health Care Emergency Management
Pandemic Influenza
March 5, 2024
Respiratory Viral Pandemics: Then and Now
, Running head: RESPIRATORY VIRAL PANDEMICS: THEN AND NOW 2
The Spanish Influenza of 1918 took an enormous toll on a nation already taxed by a war
which was enjoying modest economic prosperity. This too would be short-lived, although as
pandemics continue to contribute to our approaches to public health along with better
technology, we can appreciate in retrospect that the communities that embraced social distancing
would fare better, both economically and health-wise than those who did not (Badger and Bui,
2020). In an eerie redux, the city of Minneapolis closed pool halls, schools, and churches on
October 12th, 1918.
The pandemic of 1918 was zoonotic in nature, as is our current pandemic. There is also
the concern that the virus could also exchange RNA with human influenza, which could create a
strain that is highly impervious to immunological response (John Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Health, 2005). Finally, both the H1N1 virus, which was implicated in the1918 pandemic, and
the Covid-19 virus causes secondary ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Even well-
equipped ICUs routinely lose sixty percent of ARDS patients. It was identified in the spring of
that year in military personnel and spread worldwide. So, we can see that globalism of a
different nature contributed to its spread.
We often lack immunity to these agents as this is a novel exposure. Although it is a
single case, there is new evidence that the virus can be transmitted to felines via humans. The
pandemic of 1918 strained both the economy and communities in another way-those who died
were more likely to be young, healthy adults of a working age. This could be due to an over-
reactive immune response. Pregnant women were also disproportionately affected (Public
Resources Org, 2020). Interestingly though, the immune system is dampened during pregnancy,
and some autoimmune conditions improve during this time.
Respiratory Viral Pandemics: Then and Now
Health Care Emergency Management
Pandemic Influenza
March 5, 2024
Respiratory Viral Pandemics: Then and Now
, Running head: RESPIRATORY VIRAL PANDEMICS: THEN AND NOW 2
The Spanish Influenza of 1918 took an enormous toll on a nation already taxed by a war
which was enjoying modest economic prosperity. This too would be short-lived, although as
pandemics continue to contribute to our approaches to public health along with better
technology, we can appreciate in retrospect that the communities that embraced social distancing
would fare better, both economically and health-wise than those who did not (Badger and Bui,
2020). In an eerie redux, the city of Minneapolis closed pool halls, schools, and churches on
October 12th, 1918.
The pandemic of 1918 was zoonotic in nature, as is our current pandemic. There is also
the concern that the virus could also exchange RNA with human influenza, which could create a
strain that is highly impervious to immunological response (John Hopkins Bloomberg School of
Health, 2005). Finally, both the H1N1 virus, which was implicated in the1918 pandemic, and
the Covid-19 virus causes secondary ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome. Even well-
equipped ICUs routinely lose sixty percent of ARDS patients. It was identified in the spring of
that year in military personnel and spread worldwide. So, we can see that globalism of a
different nature contributed to its spread.
We often lack immunity to these agents as this is a novel exposure. Although it is a
single case, there is new evidence that the virus can be transmitted to felines via humans. The
pandemic of 1918 strained both the economy and communities in another way-those who died
were more likely to be young, healthy adults of a working age. This could be due to an over-
reactive immune response. Pregnant women were also disproportionately affected (Public
Resources Org, 2020). Interestingly though, the immune system is dampened during pregnancy,
and some autoimmune conditions improve during this time.
