Influenza Virus Impact On Society

The influenza virus has had detrimental effects on society throughout history. In 1918, the influenza strain H1N1 caused a global pandemic (Billings, 1997). One of the major problems with the spread of H1N1 was that soldiers were living in terrible conditions throughout Europe and were susceptible to the virus (Billings, 1997). Soldiers travelled worldwide, spreading the incredibly fatal virus that had no known vaccine to their families and friends (Latson, 2015). The symptoms of the Spanish flu included weakness and a cough which ultimately resulted in pneumonia and build up in the lungs (“Influenza, 1918-1919”, n.d). The flu impacted countries negatively in an attempt to isolate the virus by shutting down services and placing requirements
to the public to wear sanitary masks (“Influenza, 1918-1919”, n.d)
An estimate of 20 million deaths resulted from the Spanish influenza, a devastating amount of people right at the end of the First World War leaving the world in a vulnerable position financially (“Influenza, 1918-1919”, n.d). In 1918, scientists were unaware that influenza was a virus, therefore all the vaccines they attempted to produce did not have the desired effect of treating or preventing H1N1(Youngdahl, K, 2011)). However; scientists Yu-Wen Chien, Keith Klugman and David Morens proposed that these vaccines may have reduced the amount of build up in the lungs that resulted from the Spanish flu and may decreased the amount of fatalities of influenza. (Chien, Klugman, & Morens, 2010). The Spanish influenza is historically the most fatal pandemic to occur (Billings, 1997). It has served as an aid for scientists and health departments in determining how to prevent influenza pandemics and strategies to isolate the virus from society (Taubenberger & Morens, 2006).