To the general population, science seems like a field that consists of facts and certainty. However, this could not be further from the truth. The life’s work of a scientist can be taken away in an instant. In a passage from “The Great Influenza,” John M. Barry expresses that the success of a scientist depends on their capacity to handle challenges. Using ethos, extended metaphor, and rhetorical questions, Barry characterizes science as a path of uncertainty.…
In the fall of 1918, the war in Europe was beginning to wind down and peace was seen on the horizon. The Americans would join the fight and this would bring the allies much closer to their victory against the Germans. Within trenches, these men would live in some of the most brutal conditions that life had to offer and it seemed like it could not get any worse. Across different parts of the world, something that seemed similar to the common cold would erupt. The influenza that occurred that season would come to be far worse than a mere cold. Of the United States soldiers who lost their lives in Europe, half of them would die due to the influenza virus. The virus would also proceed to kill 43,000 servicemen who were mobilized for WW1.…
Another reason that the flu had such a severe impact on the U.S. military is because of the way that the military was structured and arranged during World War I. In her article, “The U.S. military and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919”, Carol Byerly gives information about the organization of the military into camps. Byerly uses the example of Camp Devens in Massachusetts to show how seriously the epidemic affected military camps. According to Byerly, the flu spread over the course of only ten days to infect more than 15% of the soldiers stationed there. This was similar to Fort Shelby, where almost every new recruit became sick. Researchers such as Victor C. Vaughan, the Dean of the University of Michigan School of Medicine, and Rufus Cole,…
1918 Influenza Pandemic: In 1918, a highly contagious and deadly strain of the influenza spread. It killed more than half a million Americans. Although much work was being done to improve public health, there were not any tools useful in combating the influenza spread. The origin of the flu remains unknown. The virus arrived at the battlefields in France and the U.S. military camps before reaching the urban population.…
influenza pandemic, the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus. It infected 500 million—making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history.…
Influenza is a viral infection that harbors on the respiratory system. This infectious disease mostly known as the flu is highly contagious and its symptoms can vary from mild to severe. Depending on the immune system of the individual affected and the strength of the symptoms it can at times lead to death. To understand how to treat it is important for individuals to know and recognize the symptoms. Unlike the common cold, the flu comes on suddenly. Many who have the flu experience some or all of the following symptoms:…
How has the Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic of 1793 change history? An appalling contagious outbreak impacted the colossal city of America and its country’s capital. In the summer of 1793 the weather was brutally humid and mild. Therefore, this infectious disease has initiated in August and is known to be terminated approximately few months later in November. This disease has commenced by mosquitoes and caused a massive amount of deaths. Not only has this epidemic dispatched numerous people it made them suffer to the point where it was unbearable to handle.…
Many government took efforts to stop the spreading of the flu in 1918. Some tried to promote public health and boost morale by framing the flu as a “metaphor…
The virus attacks the respiratory system. The respiratory system includes the nose, throat, and lungs. It is often referred to as the “flu” but it is not the same virus as the “stomach flu.” Everyone can be susceptible to the flu, but some people may be more at risk. Young children, pregnant women, people with weakened immune systems, people with chronic illnesses, obese people, and adults older than 65 are the most at risk. The symptoms of the flu include fever, aching muscles, especially in the back, arms, and legs, chills with sweats, headache, dry persistent cough, fatigue and weakness, nasal congestion, and sore throat. Most of the time, the virus will go away on its own. People with a high risk for complications should take antiviral drugs and see a doctor. The virus travels through the air in droplets. If a person with the infection sneezes, coughs, or talks, the virus can travel through the air and infect a healthy person. A person can be contagious with the virus from a day before showing symptoms to five days after symptoms start. If a person has a weakened immune system, they can be contagious for a longer time. They can be contagious for up to ten days after symptoms appear. Treatment for influenza includes bed rest and plenty of fluids. For people with a higher risk for complications, antiviral medications may be prescribed to reduce symptoms and prevent complications for infections. Unfortunately, certain…
The influenza virus commonly known as the flu is a contagious viral infection that invades its victim's body via the nose and mouth affecting the respiratory system of the individual. It spreads by respiratory droplets through coughing and sneezing. When a person sneezes or coughs, they normally cover their mouth or nose using their hand out of common courtesy and then you have the numerous people who were never taught manners, who sneeze or cough projecting and spreading their germs up to several feet. One would hope that the people who use their hands out of common courtesy, practice good hygiene techniques and run to the restroom to wash them, but we live in the real world and not everyone practices good hygiene. Therefore, everything that this person (if infected) touches now becomes host to the virus waiting for the next victim to come along and touch everything that this individual has touched.…
Influenza, commonly known as "the flu", is an infectious disease of birds and mammals caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae, the influenza viruses. The most common symptoms are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, headache (often severe), coughing, weakness/fatigue and general discomfort. Although it is often confused with other influenza-like illnesses, especially the common cold, influenza is a more severe disease caused by a different type of virus. Influenza may produce nausea and vomiting, particularly in children, but these symptoms are more common in the unrelated gastroenteritis, which is sometimes inaccurately referred to as "stomach flu" or "24-hour flu".…
Swine flu is transmitted the same way that the seasonal flu is transmitted. The virus is generally transmitted by droplets from coughs and sneezes or touching the surface or hand of someone infected and then touching their own…
H. influenza can cause a lot of diseases but a few of the most common are bacteremia and pneumonia. Two of the most dangerous diseases that can affect mostly children is meningitis and epiglottitis, both are life threatening. Some of the unencapsulated strains can cause ear and eye infections and sometimes…
The influenza viruses are a respiratory illness that is a contagious infection that could be mild to severe in most cases but can lead to death if untreated. When you are infected you can be contagious from the day before symptoms appear up to seven days later. Most time the viruses spread from face to face contact with someone who is infected but the virus can also be passed on if touching a contaminated surface and then touching one’s mouth, eyes, or nose. The virus could last between one to two weeks before symptoms subside.…
Throughout a person’s life he or she will have gotten sick many times. Typically, when a person gets sick he or she will have a fever and nasal congestion and this usually means that it is just the common cold but it could also be the flu. Even though these two illnesses are very similar can get mixed up easily, there are certain differences that can help a person determine which one he or she has.…