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Nurses care for Spanish flu-infected patients at a temporary shelter in the United States
Pandemic viruses cause enormous damage and can kill millions of people worldwide. However, lessons can be learned from them.
Here is the Spanish flu of 1918 and the plague of the Middle Ages, says Deutsche Welle:
As if the sufferings of World War I were not enough, a viral epidemic, which people later called the “Spanish Flu,” added to it. The consequences are dramatic. The infection is spreading worldwide and the victims are mostly middle-aged. The pandemic is believed to have originated in the United States.
“I assume that about a third of Germany’s population has been infected,” says German historian Manfred Wazold. “In Europe, the disease has claimed the lives of some 2.3 million people. According to various estimates, the death toll has been at least 25 million worldwide, and some even speak of 40-50 million dead or even double, “he explains.
Quarantine saves lives
At that time, medicine did not have many options to counteract the infection. There were no respirators or antibiotics. However, one measure has helped: limit contacts between people, whenever possible.
To this day, each epidemiologist studies the following example: In the American city of Philadelphia, life went on as before, its stores functioned, and even street processions were not canceled. 257 people died in the peak phase of the epidemic in one week. In another US city, St. Louis, authorities responded quickly, and the measures imposed an almost completely frozen public life. Only 31 people died there during the same period. “In such a situation, this is the first thing to do: isolate patients to prevent transmission of infection,” says Manfred Wazold.
Epidemics are cruel but also instructive. The Spanish flu teaches us that quarantine helps. Just as there is a hike after it. This is exactly what happens after the Spanish flu. Another example is the plague. “During the Middle Ages, it literally devastated Europe. Millions of people died. But then there was a boom, both for the economy and for society,” says Professor Abelshauser, an expert in economic history.
“The plague kills 10 percent of Germans. And Europe is losing almost a quarter of its population. This has led to a significant increase in the cost of labor, which in turn has fueled mechanization and it has set the stage for the later industrial revolution. ” explains the teacher
After each pandemic: life changes
Each epidemic causes damage and victims. But lessons can be learned from such a situation. The current coronavirus pandemic, for example, could propel digitization to unprecedented heights. Because millions of people around the world currently work in home office mode, switch to digital training, shop online, and participate in online meetings.
Yes, life continues after epidemics, but now it is different. Whether we are talking about the plague, the Spanish flu or the coronavirus.
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