Similiarities between COVID 19 and the Spanish Flu

The Coronavirus and COVID-19 pandemic reared its ugly head in December 2019 and has plagued almost everyone since. COVID-19 has affected over 500 million people across the world and has killed over 6 million.

Approximately 101 years before COVID-19, there was another pandemic that plagued many, and that was the Spanish Flu. Almost 100 years apart, these pandemics wrecked the world and were similar in the way they happened.

The Spanish Flu was first found in the Spring of 1918 by military personnel. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 500 million people contracted the Spanish Flu. At the time, that was one-third of the entire population of the world.

The CDC also estimated that 50 million of the people died from The Spanish Flu. The side effects of early 20th century ailment were similar to the Coronavirus - cough, chills, fatigue, fever, headaches, sore throat, and a runny nose.

The sickness was dangerous because a vaccine could not be made at the time due to the limitations of medical science during the 1910’s. The group of adults ages 20 to 40 had the highest mortality rate, which is unheard of in most pandemics. The way people protected themselves from the Spanish Flu was by quartining, disinfectants, and limiting social gatherings. Some of these traits sound familiar with COVID-19.

Even though both ailments share some qualities, there are differences. COVID-19 has had a death rate of over six million people since it began. The group of adults 65 and older had the highest mortality rate.

The largest difference between the pandemics is a vaccine. According to a study done by JAMA Network Open, the COVID-19 Vaccine has helped stop 14 million cases and 240,000 deaths between December 12, 2020 and June 30, 2021.

With all of this in mind, which pandemic hurt the world the most? The short answer is both. The Spanish Flu had a higher mortality rate, but it only lasted one year. COVID-19 has a lower mortality rate, but has lasted a lot longer than the Spanish Flu.

There isn’t a clear way of knowing when COVID-19 will go away. It’s been over two years since COVID-19 began and there are still many cases spreading today. Over 7000 cases were found in Oklahoma in the past week alone. While COVID-19 may end up with a lower death toll, it’s obvious how much detriment the pandemics brought upon the Earth.