World War One’s role in the worst ever flu pan... - CLL Support

CLL Support

22,988 members39,473 posts

World War One’s role in the worst ever flu pandemic - lessons for us 100 years later

AussieNeil profile image
AussieNeilPartnerAdministrator
1 Reply

The great war started 100 years ago and towards the end of that war, a flu pandemic caused about 50 million deaths worldwide; far more than the deaths from combat casualties in the World War, killing an estimated 3 to 6% of the world's population and over 20% of some remote communities.

John Mathews, Honorary Professorial Fellow at University of Melbourne, Australia explains how the Great War exacerbated the spread of the pandemic through increased global travel and the confinement of soldiers in close proximity in army camps, barracks, troop-ships and trench dugouts:

theconversation.com/world-w...

Neil

Photo: Lachenalia - commonly called Soldier Boys, in flower

Written by
AussieNeil profile image
AussieNeil
Partner
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
1 Reply
Myrddin profile image
Myrddin

Two of my family who had emigrated to Canada returned to fight , survived the fighting only to die on the way home. Not sure how you could stop people moving around after the war was over but might have reduced the death toll.

With modern transport infections can easily be exchanged and travel around the world in hours rather than weeks or months.

Not what you're looking for?

You may also like...

100 years later, why don’t we commemorate the victims and heroes of ‘Spanish flu’?

Worldwide, the pneumonic influenza pandemic of 1918–19 killed an estimated 50-100 million people –...

WHO declares the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic

The World Health Organization on 11th March 2020 declared the rapidly spreading coronavirus...

Is lockdown doing more harm than good?

I'm not sure myself, but would appreciate your thoughts. The first word goes to Ivor Cummins, an...

Ibrutinib Use in the Real World for CLL

Friends, A short simple interview: ASCO 2014: Dr. Byrd: Ibrutinib in the Real World on the...

The Doctor Who Helped Defeat Smallpox Explains What's Coming - mostly a hopeful post

Epidemiologist Larry Brilliant, who is now 75, has fought flu, polio, and blindness, warned of...