In the United States (US), 675,000 people have already died as a result of Covid-19. That is more than during the Spanish flu in 1918. This makes the corona pandemic the deadliest outbreak in recent American history.
The number of reported corona deaths in the US peaked at 675,000 on Monday, adding 1,900 deaths daily, data from Johns Hopkins shows. The country is currently dealing with a new wave of infections. The culprit is the delta variant of the virus.
Deadliest pandemic in recent history
The 1918 flu killed an estimated 675,000 Americans, according to the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention. It was considered America’s deadliest pandemic to date in recent history.
“I think we’re done with historical comparisons now,” said Dr. Howard Markel, a physician and medical historian at the University of Michigan, said: CNBC. In his view, we should no longer look to 1918 as a guide to how to handle the pandemic. “It is important that we now look ahead,” said the doctor. “This is the pandemic that I will study and teach to the next generation of doctors and public health students.”
Markel added that a direct comparison between the raw numbers of the various pandemics needs to be put into context, “given the enormous technological, medical, social and cultural advances over the past century.” “It’s important to consider the population when we talk about outbreaks or disasters,” he said.
Differences with the Spanish flu
In 1918, for example, the population of the US was less than a third that of today, with an estimated 103 million people living in America just before the “roaring twenties”. Today, nearly 330 million people live in the US. That means the 1918 flu killed about 1 in 150 Americans. By comparison, corona has so far killed 1 in 500 Americans.
Furthermore, several experts emphasize that the pandemic in 1918 also killed people in a different way. During World War I, there was a massive movement of men across America and Europe. While the coronavirus can be particularly serious for the elderly and those with underlying health conditions, the Spanish flu was uncommon in that it killed many young adults.
Spanish flu continues to be deadlier worldwide
Worldwide, the 1918 flu killed more people, an estimated 20 million to 50 million, according to World Health Organization figures. Data from Johns Hopkins shows that Covid has so far claimed the lives of approximately 4.7 million people worldwide.
Furthermore, in 1918 there was no vaccine against the virus. That is the case today. In addition, the health organizations back then were not the robust organizations they are today. To make matters worse, there were no antibiotics, intensive care units, ventilators or IV fluids decades ago.
Scientists hadn’t even seen a virus under a microscope yet. They didn’t have the technology and knew almost nothing about virology. The situation is completely different today.
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