1918 repeating itself.

“The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic is only Darwinian evolution at its best, the way of nature to cleanse the population of its weakest elements.”

The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, the deadliest in history, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims. The 1918 flu was first observed in Europe, the United States and parts of Asia before swiftly spreading around the world. At the time, there were no effective drugs or vaccines to treat this killer flu strain.
Like for the Covid-19 virus, the influenza attacked the respiratory system and was very contagious: When an infected person coughed, sneezed or talked, respiratory droplets were generated and transmitted into the air, and could be inhaled by anyone nearby. Additionally, a person who touched something with the virus on it and then touched his or her mouth, eyes or nose could become infected.

The first wave of the 1918 pandemic occurred in the spring and was generally mild. The sick, who experienced such typical flu symptoms as chills, fever and fatigue, usually recovered after several days, and the number of reported deaths was low. However, a second, highly contagious wave of influenza appeared with a vengeance in the fall of that same year.
While systems for alerting public health authorities of infectious spread did exist in 1918, they did not generally include influenza, leading to a delayed response.

Nevertheless, actions were taken: Maritime quarantines were declared; Social distancing measures were introduced; schools, theatres, and places of worship were closed; public transportation was limited and mass gatherings banned. Wearing face masks became common and even mandatory in some places and there were debates over their efficacy. There was also some resistance to their use. At the end, before the virus ended its deadly global march, like for the Covid-19, businesses were shuttered and bodies piled up in makeshift morgues.

A later study found that measures such as banning mass gatherings and requiring the wearing of face masks could cut the death rate up to fifty percent, but this was dependent on them being imposed early in the outbreak and not being lifted prematurely.

Fighting the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic

When the 1918 flu hit, doctors and scientists were unsure what caused it or how to treat it and there were no effective vaccines or antivirals, drugs that treat it. Additionally, hospitals were so overloaded with flu patients that schools and other buildings had to be converted into makeshift hospitals.
Officials, in some communities, imposed quarantines, ordered citizens to wear masks and shut down public places, including schools, churches and theaters. People were advised to avoid shaking hands and to stay indoors. Furthermore, with no cure for the flu, like for Trump at his best, many ignorant doctors recommended dangerous products and ineffective medications that they felt would alleviate symptoms. Funeral parlors were overwhelmed and bodies piled up. The flu was also detrimental to the economy. Businesses were forced to shut down. Basic services were hindered. In some places there weren’t enough farm workers to harvest crops.

Without a vaccine or approved treatment plan, it fell to local mayors and healthy officials to improvise plans to safeguard the safety of their citizens. With pressure to appear patriotic at wartime and with a censored media downplaying the disease’s spread, many made tragic decisions. Finally, by the spring of 1920, the H1N1 Influenza pandemic came to an end by itself, as those that were infected either died or developed immunity.

Stop the Bunkum!

Stop all that bunkum, that nonsense and all that verbal diarrhea about Covid-19. Like for 1918, like it or not, we are stuck with that pandemic for at least 18 more months. Like for the H1N1 Influenza pandemic of 1918, unless we immediately enforce full mandatory social distancing and shutdowns of all public places, there is nothing that will stop the pandemic other than time.History is only repeating itself: No knowledge of what the **** is hitting us; No vaccine; Denial and late response; Misguidance and misinformation, everything contributing to incidents of xenophobia, discrimination and racism.

The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic is only Darwinian evolution at its best, the way of nature to cleanse the population of its weakest elements.

Michel Ouellette JMD, ll.l., ll.m.

Systemic Strategic Planning, Crisis & Reputation Management

JMD Systemics  

A division of King Global Earth and Environmental sciences Corporation

Web: JMD Systemics | bunkumless.com

Michel Ouellette / Joseph Michael Dennis,isa former attorney, a Crisis & Reputation Management Expert,a Public Affairs & Corporate Communications Specialist, a Warrior for Common Sense and Free Speech.

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