In his detailed and well researched book, The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History, author John M. Barry has done a masterful job of recounting the sequence of events that characterized that terrible event and the futile efforts to curtail its drastic effects.
Barry starts with the very genesis of the disease from central Kansas, it is believed, to a nearby army base and then onto overcrowded ships ferrying Allied troops to the war effort in Europe. The influenza is tracked to its very end when it mutates to a far less virulent strain and simply fades away. The medical and scientific terminology used throughout this book is generally understandable by the layman.
The Spanish flu spread like wildfire across national borders and millions of deaths occurred within a very short time so deadly was this particular strain. Two-thirds of all deaths occurred within a period of just 24 weeks. Much like today’s epidemic, it was the young that were most affected. Virtually overnight, hospitals were filled to capacity and an immediate shortage of doctors and nurses was experienced as even the medical professionals faced the grim reality of the flu turning into a deadly pneumonia.
The U.S. was ill-prepared for fighting this horrific onslaught even though vaccines and anti-toxins were understood at the time. Early efforts were for naught as those charged with a solution to the disease went down the wrong path, convinced that the outbreak was bacterial when it was actually a virus that could lead to pneumonia. It would be 15 years before the virus was successfully isolated.
Although it was “only an influenza,” some victims experienced an extraordinary and extreme array of symptoms. These included hemorrhage from all orifices, ear aches, splitting headaches and intense pain from different parts of the body. The body’s own immune response killed many people, destroying the lungs. Not all people died who contracted the flu, of course, but enough to cause stark terror in crowded city neighborhoods.
Barry’s book was published in 2004 and he correctly predicted that another deadly pandemic could occur at any time.
There are, however, significant differences between today’s flu crisis and that experienced in 1918-1919:
-Influenza strains are tracked on a world-wide basis and vaccines are
prepared annually for the worst strains allowing mass inoculations.
- The current strain of H1N1 is an order of magnitude less virulent than the
influenza of 90 years ago.
- The medical community has much better tools for analyzing flu viruses.
- Massive facilities are available for producing vaccines although the
methodology remains largely unchanged.
-The timely use of drugs like Tamiflu and Relenza once symptoms are
experienced lessen the impact of the virus.
Unfortunately, some will indeed die during the current epidemic, but it is highly unlikely that this episode will approach the number of fatalities experienced just 90 years ago.
Barry’s work is a good read and is highly recommended to provide insight and context for the current H1N1 Swine Flu crisis.
Thad McAfee is a novelist and civil war buff. His latest publication is Sulfur Creek, released in August, 2009.
Permission to Reprint is Granted.
