ANALYSIS PAPER- SPANISH FLU VS.

COVID-19
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Analysis Paper- Spanish Flu vs. COVID-19

Riley Campbell

Nursing, Youngstown State University

NURS 4844 Community Health Nursing

Dr. Ballone

09/27/2021
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Similarities and Differences

The Spanish Flu and COVID-19 are two very similar pandemics that plagued the world

almost a century apart. When comparing the two pandemics we find that there is controversy as

to how they both came into existence. According to Merc Docs (2020), it is believed that the

Spanish Flu originated from birds, Chinese workers, or livestock, specifically pigs. In the early

days of the COVID-19 pandemic it was known that the virus came from China but the specific

cause remains unknown, although many speculate that the virus came from a market in Wuhan.

Another similarity is how easily each virus is spread. In the United States the Spanish Flu was

first spread in an Army camp in Kansas with incredibly close living quarters. With such a high

concentration of people in a small area it is no mystery how the virus spread so quickly. We saw

a very similar situation in early 2020 when large and medium size cities were placed in

lockdown to prevent people from gathering. Despite the lockdowns we saw infection numbers

skyrocket in heavily populated areas. We also see that in both cases, the virus spreads in waves,

with the second wave catching people off guard and overwhelming hospitals. During the Spanish

Flu pandemic makeshift hospitals popped up and nursing students stepped up to fill the need for

healthcare workers as seasoned nurses left to help with the war effort (Merc Docs, 2020). Today

we see clinics everywhere and expanding hospital facilities to adapt to the current need. During

the Spring 2021 semester Youngstown State University nursing students helped administer

COVID-19 vaccines to other students at the University. In 2020, senior nursing students were

being offered jobs by local hospitals prior to graduation and taking the licensure exam. We are

currently seeing the need for increased medical and nursing staff in response to the growing

number of patients requiring care.

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The Global Threat

A pandemic affects the entire world and that is exactly what we saw in 1918 and what we

are seeing present day. The global threat of the 1918 pandemic was largely influenced by World

War I. Many nations refused to admit that they were weakened by the pandemic. All but Spain

went as far as to prohibit the press from reporting on the severity of the flu in their country. Spain

was the exception and freely reported on the pandemic. This is how the 1918 pandemic earned

the name Spanish Flu. Since the general public was not educated on the threat of the virus, they

did not take it seriously which contributed to the vicious spread. Conversely, information on the

COVID-19 pandemic is widely available. The media constantly provides updates on the

pandemic situation around the world. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has published

guidelines to help the public stay healthy and avoid infection. Part of the reason the Spanish Flu

spread so rampantly and caused such high mortality rates was that it most severely affected

young people with healthy immune systems. According to Merc Docs (2020), people ages 20-40

were hit the hardest. Cytokine storms attacked those with strong immune systems. As the virus

mutated over time it became less deadly to the host as to make it more easily spread. We are

seeing this pattern currently around the world with the Delta variant causing new infections. We

can reasonably expect the COVID-19 virus to follow the same pattern as the Spanish Flu and

eventually mutate to a less deadly strain. Nonetheless, the Coronavirus remains a significant

threat to individuals with weakened immune systems and those with other comorbidities.

Success and Failures of Interventions

In order to identify the successes and failures of interventions during the 1918 flu

pandemic it is necessary to consider the state of medicine in the early 1900’s. According to CBS
ANALYSIS PAPER- SPANISH FLU VS. COVID-19
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Sunday Morning (2020), basic treatments for the flu in 1918 were enemas, whiskey, and

bloodletting. Viruses were not understood and there were no antiviral drugs available to be used

as treatment. Money was invested into the development of a vaccine, but the vaccine was for a

bacterial infection. The vaccine was ineffective and infection rates continued to increase. The

city of Philadelphia failed to cancel the Liberty Loan Parade and as a result saw infections

skyrocket over the following days. In response to the high infection numbers in Philadelphia,

schools, theaters and churches were shut down to slow the spread (Merc Docs, 2020). The city of

San Francisco stands out because they took strong preventative measures by closing and

quarantining early. As a result of these interventions, San Francisco had a low infection rate.

Additionally, San Francisco instituted a mask law in public areas. These restrictions remained in

place for six weeks. Citizens of San Francisco generally obeyed the guidelines until the third

wave hit when the city saw a public pushback with people beginning to gather again. As a result

of this pushback San Francisco saw an increase in flu infection numbers (Merc Docs, 2020).

When we consider the current COVID-19 response, we see differences in treatment due to

advancements in medicine, but we also see many of the same prevention strategies. In early and

mid 2020 many states called for lockdowns, closing businesses and schools for months. We

found that the lockdowns had some major adverse effects to the health of the population of the

United States. Suicides, mental health problems, and substance abuse increased in prevalence as

a result of citizens being unable to leave their homes and losing the ability to work (Czeisler et

al., 2020). Just as we saw in the 1918 flu pandemic, the United States government invested in the

development of a vaccine for COVID-19. We are still seeing vaccinated individuals becoming

infected and spreading the COVID-19 virus but their illness is less severe. In conclusion, many
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of the interventional failures arise from science not completely understanding the virus; we saw

it in 1918 and we continue to see it today with the current Coronavirus pandemic.
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References

CBS Sunday Morning (2020, March 8) The story of the 1918 flu pandemic [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCF_ePFYPDU

Czeisler, M. E., Rajaratnam, S. M. W., Howard, M. E., Czeisler, C. A., Barger, L. K.,

Facer-Childs, E. R., Robbins, R., Weaver, M. D., Njai, R., Christensen, A., Wiley, J. F.,

Petrosky, E., & Lane, R. I. (2020, August 13). Mental health, substance use, and suicidal

ideation during the COVID-19 pandemic - United States, June 24–30, 2020. Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved September 26, 2021, from

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/69/wr/mm6932a1.htm.

Merc Docs (2020, April 19) Spanish Flu 1918: The Forgotten Pandemic [Video]. YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvt0ldtJFIM