"Many influenza experts, policy makers, and knowledgeable observers believe that a novel influenza A (H1N1) strain directly caused most deaths during the 1918–19 pandemic, often from a hemorrhagic pneumonitis that rapidly progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome and death (1–3). Not surprisingly, plans and resources to respond to the next influenza pandemic focus almost exclusively on the virus, i.e., preventive vaccines and antiviral treatment of infections with a novel influenza strain (4). However, healthcare providers, medical experts, and published data from the 1918 period suggest that most deaths were caused by secondary bacterial pneumonias (5–12); hemorrhagic pneumonitis that rapidly progressed to death was considered an alarming but uncommon clinical manifestation (8,11–13)."
The way I'm reading that, it doesn't seem that it's that clear that it was the flu that was to blame.
And it seems a pretty fair guess that the reason it spread was as a result of the end of WWI.
1 comment
[ 4.0 ms ] story [ 13.8 ms ] thread"Many influenza experts, policy makers, and knowledgeable observers believe that a novel influenza A (H1N1) strain directly caused most deaths during the 1918–19 pandemic, often from a hemorrhagic pneumonitis that rapidly progressed to acute respiratory distress syndrome and death (1–3). Not surprisingly, plans and resources to respond to the next influenza pandemic focus almost exclusively on the virus, i.e., preventive vaccines and antiviral treatment of infections with a novel influenza strain (4). However, healthcare providers, medical experts, and published data from the 1918 period suggest that most deaths were caused by secondary bacterial pneumonias (5–12); hemorrhagic pneumonitis that rapidly progressed to death was considered an alarming but uncommon clinical manifestation (8,11–13)."
The way I'm reading that, it doesn't seem that it's that clear that it was the flu that was to blame.
And it seems a pretty fair guess that the reason it spread was as a result of the end of WWI.