How did the Spanish flu end? Is it the vaccine or did it disappear by itself?
Spanish flu in 1918 spread to around 500 million (around 1/3rd of world population). It killed 50 million people (At the same time, 1st World war killed around 20 million). It killed around 17 million in India alone.
Spanish flu came in 2 waves.
As expected, first wave was more fatal for kids below 2 and seniors above 70 years of age.
But the real problem was second wave. Second wave was surprisingly more fatal for 20 to 40 years old (more than 90% killed were below 65 years). It happened because virus has mutated to be a much deadlier form. When this virus attacked human body, whole immune system took it on highest priority and attacked the virus. This over reaction of human immune system called cytokine storm was deadly towards human body and killed them. This was much more problematic to the younger adults as they have stronger immune system. So damage was done more in younger adults than in seniors. It was such a quick reaction that people getting symptoms at breakfast time and dead by dinner time.
Another oddity was that the outbreak was widespread in the summer and autumn rather than winter which is usually normal flu season. People who got it in first wave, did not get it in second wave so it showed that it was same virus.
Then virus suddenly disappeared. New cases dropped miraculously to almost nothing within few weeks. The theory is that virus mutated itself extremely rapidly to a less lethal strain. This is a common occurrence with influenza viruses: there is a tendency for pathogenic viruses to become less lethal with time, as the hosts of more dangerous strains tend to die out.
Source: Quora
Spanish flu in 1918 spread to around 500 million (around 1/3rd of world population). It killed 50 million people (At the same time, 1st World war killed around 20 million). It killed around 17 million in India alone.
Spanish flu came in 2 waves.
As expected, first wave was more fatal for kids below 2 and seniors above 70 years of age.
But the real problem was second wave. Second wave was surprisingly more fatal for 20 to 40 years old (more than 90% killed were below 65 years). It happened because virus has mutated to be a much deadlier form. When this virus attacked human body, whole immune system took it on highest priority and attacked the virus. This over reaction of human immune system called cytokine storm was deadly towards human body and killed them. This was much more problematic to the younger adults as they have stronger immune system. So damage was done more in younger adults than in seniors. It was such a quick reaction that people getting symptoms at breakfast time and dead by dinner time.
Another oddity was that the outbreak was widespread in the summer and autumn rather than winter which is usually normal flu season. People who got it in first wave, did not get it in second wave so it showed that it was same virus.Then virus suddenly disappeared.
New cases dropped miraculously to almost nothing within few weeks. The theory is that virus mutated itself extremely rapidly to a less lethal strain. This is a common occurrence with influenza viruses: there is a tendency for pathogenic viruses to become less lethal with time, as the hosts of more dangerous strains tend to die out.Source: Quora
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