Would Spanish flu be as deadly if it occurred today?

Would Spanish flu be as deadly if it occurred today?

Asked by: Tamsin Nicholson, Warwickshire

Exclusive US Offer - try a BBC Science Focus Magazine subscription and get your first 3 issues for only $12.99 PLUS get delivery from the UK!

The 1918-1920 flu pandemic,often called ‘Spanish flu’,infected around 500 million people worldwide, killing as many as 50 million.In comparison,the coronavirusSARS-CoV-2 has, at the time of writing, killed over 900,000 from almost 30 million confirmed cases.

The influenza virus that caused Spanish flu eventually mutated into a less dangerous strain, but if an outbreak of the original Spanish flu strain happened today, it’d likely be far less deadly than a century ago.

When Spanish flu struck in 1918, scientists thought it was transmitted by bacteria, and it wasn’t until 1931 that the influenza virus was discovered. Today, we have a good understanding of flu viruses and how they spread, andwe can develop and make vaccines for new flu strains in a matter of months.

Also, in the 1918-1920 pandemic, an estimated 95 per cent of fatalities were caused by bacterial pneumonia (flu infections make it easier for certain bacteria to grow in the lungs). Today, most of these cases could be treated with antibiotics, and we also have the added resource of mechanical ventilators, for the more severe cases.

Read more:

© Getty Images

Sidebar Image

Exclusive US Offer

Try a BBC Science Focus Magazine subscription and get free delivery from the UK!

SUBSCRIBE NOW
Want to keep up to date with the latest news from Science Focus?
By entering your details, you are agreeing to Science Focus terms and conditions. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Exclusive US Offer

Try a BBC Science Focus Magazine subscription and get free delivery from the UK!

This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
© Our Media 2024