Giving Compass' Take:
- Caroline Brooks explains that the 1918 flu pandemic's highest peak occured in February of 1920, nearly two years after the virus first began to wreak havoc.
- What implications do patterns displayed in historical pandemics have for the ongoing fight against COVID-19? How can you support continued research in order to combat the coronavirus and ensure that the world is better prepared for future pandemics?
- Check out our COVID-19 Donor Guide.
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After a decade studying a flu virus that killed approximately 15,000 Michigan residents, Chandra, a professor in the James Madison College at Michigan State University, saw his research come to life as he watched the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using influenza infection and mortality data on Michigan from 1918-1920, Chandra identified four distinct waves. The first large peak was in March 1918. “After a second spike in cases in October 1918, the governor instituted a statewide ban on public gatherings,” Chandra says. “Much like the restrictions that were put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
After three weeks, the number of cases decreased and the ban was lifted, which led to another peak in December 1918. “The ban didn’t stop the spread of the flu. It just delayed the spike in cases,” he says.
The most surprising piece of data came 18 months later in February 1920, when a statewide explosion of cases created a massive spike even larger than the one in October 1918. Chandra can only make an educated guess as to the reasons for this delayed increase.
Read the full article about the 1918 flu pandemic by Caroline Brooks at Futurity.