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Dana Porter Ms. Caruso ENGL 1103 13 January 2012 No Ordinary Plague The Spanish Flu of 1918 may have only lasted a year but its impact was felt much longer. This plague killed more people than World War I, and challenged the boundaries of twentieth century medicine (Killingray, 2003). Various people had to live with it from concerned mothers and fathers to the doctors and nurses that fought to make it go away. North America, Germany, Spain, South Africa and other countries were scrambling to cope with the hysteria. The only thing that this plague left behind was a high mortality rate, no real knowledge of the thing itself or what to do if it were to reoccur. This event prompted the attention of the world to study influenza to try and get a better understanding of itwhy it happened and how people all over the world were coping. The Spanish influenza started in June 1918 and ended December 1920. Between 50 and 100 million people died from the plague, mostly being young adults with strong immune systems that were attacked (Wikipedia, 2004). There are many theories of the flus origin that span from Kansas to Austria and the Far East. Although the true origin is still unknown its called the Spanish Flu because it was highly publicized in that country, while. oOther countries enacted media blackouts because of World War I. Close contact with others spread the disease faster and tThe countries involved didnt want to lower morale by educating the public about the pandemic. Spain, being neutral in the war, had nothing to lose. This influenza was very much widespread and a national enemy.

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The increase in travel attributed to the number of worldwide casesThe number of worldwide cases was attributed to by the increase in travel. About a third of the world as a whole was affected. There was a more deadly second wave of this flu that attacked the U.S. and France with its mutated formThe U.S. and France, being included in this number, was attacked with a mutated form of the flu.1 The influenza mutatedmore deadly second wave came about because of the new way in which the disease was being carried around. Those who were suffering from severe cases often stayed at home to rest while those with mild cases went off to work. On the other hand, soldiers fighting in the war who had severe cases were sent back home while the milder cases stayed and fought (Wikipedia, 2004Awesome Stories, 2012). Therefore there are now a bunch of mild cases out interacting and also the more severe cases of soldiers all trying to get back home interacting, which caused the flu to change.The interaction with the mild cases in the cities and the severe cases of soldiers caused the flu to change.2 The Spanish Flu is sometimes overlooked because of its timing in history. The flu came along at the same time as the First World War. The deaths from the plague are commonly looked at as an addition to the hardships of war, but this influenza was actually very unique and set apart. M This flu was very unique; most of the deaths of this influenza were young adults with strong immune systems. The elderly and young children had a lower mortality rate which is very odd. Other viruses mostly claim the lives of the young and elderly because they have weaker immune systems. Most of the deaths were due to something called cytokine storm, or an overreaction of the immune system, which would account for the deaths of the young adults with strong immune systems that would really try and fight the disease.3 Also, it was more prevalent in the summer and fall seasons, influenzas are usually worse in the winter. Some of the symptoms included high fever, coughing, body aches, muscle and joint pain, headache, sore

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throat, delirium, shortness of breath, and hemorrhaging (Kolawole, 2010)4. These symptoms could be extremely harsh. Learning abou them makes the virus a little more real because it makes one realize hat real people had to experience this. The Spanish Flu is sometimes overlooked because of its timing in history. The flu came along at the same time as the First World War. The deaths from the plague are commonly looked at as an addition to the hardships of war. The most interesting part of researching a topic is seeing the event from the eyes of regular people who lived during that time. Peoples stories, thoughts, and theories about the event are always good to knowhelpful when studying the cause and the ways people lived after this major change of lifestyle. When the plague struck in South Africa people had all kinds ofmany ideas about why it happened, most of which were those of religious outlooks on the cause. It was one thought of popular and religious belief that God sent the plague as punishment. It was also a belief that God played a less direct role and that it was human mistakes and neglect of society that brought it alongGod was also said to have a less direct role leaving human mistakes and the neglect of society to blame. Some non-religious theories said it was biological warfare, the doing of some other country and that it originated on the Western Front (Phillips, 1990). It was interesting to learn about the wild theories people made as explanations, but it was even more interesting to know what people did when they werent speculating. Another way of getting a perspective of those who have actually seen the plague is looking at modern day interviews. People who are interviewed tell stories about the plague from the eyes of a young child. A 98 year old woman was interviewed and told about the day she got the flu after doing chores. She says she got sick after putting wood in the living room and kitchen stoves. Another elderly woman says her mom was pregnant with the flu and did her best to

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protect her from getting it as well and did not let her around any of the other kids in the neighborhood. "My mother wouldn't let us play with anybody, said Savage, now 101.5 It was for the same reason she wouldn't let the children look in on the neighbor boy who lived with them: fear that they would fall ill (Stafford, 2006). She says that itfear must have worked thoughpaid off because she never got itsick. Although people did their best to minimize contact with the ill, they made sure their neighbors were getting the medical attention that they needed. It was encouraging to hear the stories of how neighborhoods really looked after each other and how people had to go on with their lives and despite living with this disease. Even though this horrible thing was happening, that didnt change that they had obligations. People still looked after their cows and chickens, primed the pump, and handled coal and oil. Husbands and fathers would get sick and wouldnt ever be the same, leaving a burden on wife and kids to take care of home, property, and income. These stories are from such a unique stand point, the memories of 98+ year olds but the eyes of children. During this time there was a lotn immense amount of pressure put on the medical field. Doctors and nurses were in very high demand. The need for nurses was so desperate that there were advertisements put up asking for people with any kind of nursing experience to come forward and help. Although there were a number of nurses sent overseas to aid in the war, we also needed them back home helping to fight the influenza. These nurses witnessed the worst cases of hysteria among people suffering from the disease and had to be a source of emotional support for their patients. Nurses formed panels and came up with ideas to educate the public about the influenza. Some nurses would go out to schools in the community and tell teachers what symptoms to look for in children. They told them , some of the symptoms they should be aware of and if they saw these symptoms to report themto report them if they were identified.

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The board of health in Philadelphia even went as far as enacting a public campaign against coughing, sneezing, and spitting. They also made citizens wear gauze masks in public. "Obey the laws and wear the gauze protect your jaws from septic paws." (Armstrong 1999). But without a cure there was very little the nurses could do but ease the symptoms and be a source of hope.6 A teenage volunteer talks about being there for the suffering: "We tried to be as nice to them as we could and just be with them when they died"(Kolawole, 2010). Hearing a statement like this one is very sad but it was reality. The decline of the Spanish Influenza was due to the ability of doctors to treat and prevent the symptoms of the pneumonia. Also, pathogenic viruses such as this one are less lethal overtime which explains why the flu mutated and formed a far less severe strain. As for the source of the pandemic, we can only hypothesize. Some theories say that when viruses infected swine and poultry that were bred for food in Fort Riley, Kansas those the viruses spread when after the soldiers were sent around the world. This influenza was abrupt and devastating, taking many lives and changing the way the medical field and the public operated long after it occurred. Since the 1918 influenza outbreak,This is why scientists have been doing studies to better understand the pandemic. There have even been experiments that try and genetically recreate it, but.7 This influenza was abrupt and devastating, taking many lives and changing the way the medical field and the public operated long after it occurred. kKnowing very little about the origin of the Spanish Flu the best we can do now is to continue research and pray that it doesnt break out again.

The main conflict in my movie is going to be this idea of a mutated strain. In my story though, this mutation will be much more dramatic with horrific affects.

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Knowing how the influenza mutated is a key idea that needs to be understood and illustrated in order for my final project to be successful. This information will help me paint a picture for the audience and ease them into understanding how the influenza gets from one point to the extreme state that it ends up in. 3 Its important to note the age of the people being affected. I can use this to show an entire generation whose life was altered due to the Spanish Flu. 4 The symptoms are significant for obvious reasons. If want to make a movie showing the spreading of this disease there needs to be a change occurring in the people suffering and once the symptoms are made known I can show that someone has contracted the influenza without coming out right and saying so. 5 Accounts like these help to get an idea of how people were during that time. Stories coming directly from someone living in that time will really help out with forming my characters. Things they did, how they spoke, what they thought about what was happening, these things are going to be helpful. 6 This is another point of view that will be really helpful in the story. Doctors and nurses are important to the progression or end of the pandemic. People want to know if there is a cure, if there will be one, why its so bad, and when it will be over, and they look to the medical world for answers. 7 I thought this was very interesting when I first read it mainly because of how potentially dangerous recreating a lethal disease can be. Ill probably use this for cinematic conflict and have a flash forward shown where there is a recreation gone wrong and end with a not so happy ending.

Works Cited

Spanish Flu Pandemic: A Deadly Second Wave Awesome Stories, a story place of the web. Copyright 2012 Awesome Stories Phillips, H. Black October: the impact of the Spanish Influenza Epidemic of 1918 on South Africa. Govt. Printer, 1990 American Historical Review; Apr2005, Vol 110 Issue 2, p446-447, 2p The Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19: New Perspectives. (Routledge Studies in the Social History of Medicine, num.12) Stafford, Tom Staff W. Life in the time of Spanish influenza; The Nov. 13 Community News described the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918 through newspaper accounts. Today, residents of Oakwood Village and Eaglewood Village add their childhood recollections. Springfield NewsSun (OH) [serial online]. December 18, 2006:Available from: NewsBank, Ipswich, MA. Accessed February 14, 2012.

Kolawole, Bukola. "Nursing And The 1918/1919 Spanish Influenza Pandemic." Journal Of Community Nursing 24.6 (2010): 30. CINAHL Plus with Full Text. Web. 14 Feb. 2012.

Armstrong, James F. Philadelphia, Nurses, and the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918. RN, BSN, CCRN

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