Imagine your world looks like this:
It's 100 years ago. There's an enemy lurking everywhere, one that can get to anybody. Any age, gender, social status, and ironically, can get to the young and healthy with no problem.
People stay home, fearful to go out in public. Banks, libraries, churches, schools, theaters--all closed to avoid this enemy. No one knows where it will strike next, only that it will strike.
Businesses are closed. Mail delivery stops. Streets are empty.
Hospitals are so over-filled that room is found in homes and large arenas to house the sick. Medical help is dwindling: Doctors and nurses are overwhelmed trying to care for the victims, while they are becoming victims, too, and in some cases, medical students are enlisted to help care for the sick. Funeral services become scarce. Demand for coffins is much higher than supply; in fact, sometimes people stole coffins to bury their dead.
There is virtually nothing that can be done for the victims except hope they can survive. There are no medical treatments.
The Year: 1918. The enemy: The Flu. Influenza. At the time some called it the "Grippe" or "Ague." Some had heard it was much worse in Spain, so they called it the Spanish Flu. In fact, it was no more prevalent there than anywhere else, and just as deadly everywhere.
The flu was, and is still, a disease of the respiratory system. It's a virus: there is no antidote as yet to every kind of flu, because it mutates into something else once people develop immunity. It tends to weaken your immune system which opens the door to pneumonia, bronchitis, and a host of other potentially deadly conditions. Even with the flu of 1918, eventually it mutated into something less deadly but was still able to make people very sick.
Magnified picture of a flu virus (there are many)
This flu that spread through the U.S., United Kingdom, Europe, and Asia during 1918 was referred to as a pandemic. 'Pandemic' means the same as 'Epidemic,' but Pandemic means it spread even further geographically and killed more than an epidemic. Whatever the term, the numbers are pretty shocking:
- Between 20 million and 100 million people died of this flu
- At least 25% of United States citizens contracted the flu
- 675,000 Americans died, perhaps more, since record-keeping was not the best
- There was a first wave in the spring of 1918 and then a second wave in the fall of 1918
Close to half of the Army and Navy came down with the flu.
It's thought that the high death rate was due to pneumonia that followed the flu, and whether the pneumonia was bacterial or viral, there was no treatment for that, either.
How did it spread?
It was known that it spread in the air: coughs, sneezes, etc: people did sometimes wear masks when they went outside. It also spreads on surfaces: Someone touches a door knob, for example, and leaves flu germs on it...then another person uses that door knob and picks up the virus. These are the basic ways it spreads: Breath and surfaces. Other viruses can be spread by mosquitoes, saliva, or dirty needles. One of the best ways to stop the spread of flu is still washing your hands thoroughly and often.
The first flu vaccine wasn't developed until 1940. As time passed, the flu vaccine became more available to all and people were encouraged to get the vaccine. Every year, some strains of flu will still be unaffected by the vaccine developed for peak flu season. It does, however, make the flu less severe even if you do get it.
In 1918, travel to far-flung places had become much easier, largely travel by train, so people could take the flu with them and spread it that way. One of the prime ways it spread was in the military: all men were required to serve, and World War I wasn't over until November 1918. Thus, there were large encampments of men where flu could run rampant, and this also enabled it to spread to Europe when the men were taken there to fight. In fact, it's thought that more military personnel were killed by the flu than in battle. It is thought that the flu originated in America and was brought to France by soldiers.
The only 'treatment' available was aspirin for pain and fever. It's interesting to note that Bayer, which had a patent to manufacture aspirin, had the patent expire right at the same time as the flu was at its peak. This led to other manufacturers making aspirin that may or may not have been of the same quality. However, of course, aspirin does not cure anything. The use of laudanum at the time (as a painkiller and cough remedy) was quite common, Laudanum is actually a highly addictive and disabling drug, opium.
Wow: Alcohal, Marijuana, Chloroform, and Morphine. "Skillfully combined."
And so, even while people sought help from doctors and may have been admitted to hospitals, there was really nothing that could be done. There were no gloves worn while treating people, and the importance of hand-washing wasn't widely known. Injections of any kind were given with re-usable syringes which may or not have been properly sterilized. Bedding was re-used, and possibly with the neverending flow of patients, may or may not have been washed in hot water before re-use (and of course, there were no dryers).
This huge building was used as a hospital--A far cry from current hospitals.
There was no disposable anything. People who served as nurses really did not have any type of medical training beyond very basic skills. Treatment might include a mustard pack and dosing a patient with a mixture of eggs, whiskey, and milk. They could pat down a person with cool cloths, but beyond that, there wasn't much to be done. This source describes nurses in World War I.
There have been other flu epidemics, here are some just in the last 60 years:
In 1957-58, about 2 million people died of flu called Asian flu
In 1968-69, 1 million people died of flu called Hong Kong flu
In 2009-10, as many as 280,000 people died of flu named H1N1 flu
If you get the flu, the first and best thing you can do is stay home. Going in to work or school or out into public places can only spread it to others and make your recovery slower. Drink plenty of fluids, stay warm, take care of yourself. Get medical help if you need to.
