Back to the future…
How often we hear this from our grandmothers, parents or just older people we know: “Thirty years ago, when I was young, things had been other way…” And after that there goes uncountable repetition of the same stories about changes, which has happened in the world. Have you ever thought about these changes? How actually has it changed, not on the scale of design of the Cola tin, but globally. What if it’s not like this at all and what if we are unfortunately just prisoners, walking around the same circle? I guess, many people think about this constantly, especially now, while all the people are agitated by the corona virus pandemic. When common fear pushes people to search for any information, that would help to understand the current situation. So let’s make a journey through time and check, what has been happening a century ago. Let’s go!
1918, autumn, one of the notorious pandemics -- spanish flu, taking over the world. There are some facts, known to everyone:
• Development of the pandemic was provoked by the war -- insanitary, bad nutrition, the location of war camps and refugees camps near each other.
• At the start of the disease it had symptoms of usual flu, but then came cough with blood.
• Although it’s strange, but old people and children almost didn’t suffer, the main victims were people at the age 20-40.
• The vaccine has never been discovered.
• More than 550 million of people had this disease -- almost one third from the whole Earth population.
• There were no antibiotics back then, so all the efforts were put to prevent spreading.
• Every third citizen of Madrid had had the spanish flu.
• The only place the pandemic hadn’t get to -- is island Marajo in estuary of Amazon.
• This terrible disease has taken lives of almost 100 million people all over the world, the wife and two kids of famous physician Petr Kapica.
• Famous people, who have recovered after the spanish flu are Franz Kafka, Walt Disney and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Back then just like now, the countries with developed healthcare system were just as helpless as others. Efforts were made to delay the spread of the disease. But advances in technology and transportation did little to contain the virus, which was rapidly spreading in all directions. Some of the shops catered to visitors from the outside. Courts, churches, schools and theaters were closed, as well as places where people gathered. In the US, bans on spitting and coughing were introduced, it was probably difficult to comply with such rules!
It is assumed that the Spanish flu came from China. He followed the employees to North America, and from there the infection spread to Europe along with soldiers and Chinese workers.
All these events gave an impetus to the development of the international influenza control system and Virology, the development of the first influenza vaccine.
Does not all this resemble the current situation, how strange it is to lose the exclusivity of the events of the present time. If I was told that at the beginning of the 20th century people wore such masks, I would hardly believe it!
Of course, now, thanks to the Internet and the availability of information from all over the world, it is much easier to track statistics and distribute the necessary information. But, the number of coronavirus victims and the response of people to prohibitions and rules during the pandemic suggests the same impotence as many years ago, in a less developed society. Maybe the merciless Pestilence (horseman of the Apocalypse) has its own tick for 100 years and it still rides out on its huge horse to remind you of its existence...
Back to the future…
How often we hear this from our grandmothers, parents or just older people we know: “Thirty years ago, when I was young, things had been other way…” And after that there goes uncountable repetition of the same stories about changes, which has happened in the world. Have you ever thought about these changes? How actually has it changed, not on the scale of design of the Cola tin, but globally. What if it’s not like this at all and what if we are unfortunately just prisoners, walking around the same circle? I guess, many people think about this constantly, especially now, while all the people are agitated by the corona virus pandemic. When common fear pushes people to search for any information, that would help to understand the current situation. So let’s make a journey through time and check, what has been happening a century ago. Let’s go!
1918, autumn, one of the notorious pandemics -- spanish flu, taking over the world. There are some facts, known to everyone:
• Development of the pandemic was provoked by the war -- insanitary, bad nutrition, the location of war camps and refugees camps near each other.
• At the start of the disease it had symptoms of usual flu, but then came cough with blood.
• Although it’s strange, but old people and children almost didn’t suffer, the main victims were people at the age 20-40.
• The vaccine has never been discovered.
• More than 550 million of people had this disease -- almost one third from the whole Earth population.
• There were no antibiotics back then, so all the efforts were put to prevent spreading.
• Every third citizen of Madrid had had the spanish flu.
• The only place the pandemic hadn’t get to -- is island Marajo in estuary of Amazon.
• This terrible disease has taken lives of almost 100 million people all over the world, the wife and two kids of famous physician Petr Kapica.
• Famous people, who have recovered after the spanish flu are Franz Kafka, Walt Disney and Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Back then just like now, the countries with developed healthcare system were just as helpless as others. Efforts were made to delay the spread of the disease. But advances in technology and transportation did little to contain the virus, which was rapidly spreading in all directions. Some of the shops catered to visitors from the outside. Courts, churches, schools and theaters were closed, as well as places where people gathered. In the US, bans on spitting and coughing were introduced, it was probably difficult to comply with such rules!
It is assumed that the Spanish flu came from China. He followed the employees to North America, and from there the infection spread to Europe along with soldiers and Chinese workers.
All these events gave an impetus to the development of the international influenza control system and Virology, the development of the first influenza vaccine.
Does not all this resemble the current situation, how strange it is to lose the exclusivity of the events of the present time. If I was told that at the beginning of the 20th century people wore such masks, I would hardly believe it!
Of course, now, thanks to the Internet and the availability of information from all over the world, it is much easier to track statistics and distribute the necessary information. But, the number of coronavirus victims and the response of people to prohibitions and rules during the pandemic suggests the same impotence as many years ago, in a less developed society. Maybe the merciless Pestilence (horseman of the Apocalypse) has its own tick for 100 years and it still rides out on its huge horse to remind you of its existence...
