Spanish Flu Research Paper

Words: 1264
Pages: 6

Over the years there have been countless diseases that have roamed Earth. One particular disease that emerged in the beginning of the twentieth century was the Spanish Flu. The Spanish flu is a viral disease that first appeared in 1917 and who's geographic location remains a mystery. Scientists are unclear of the virus's origin, but recent findings by Historian Mark Humphries of Canada's Memorial University of Newfoundland suggest it came from East Asia, China to be exact. Humphries research confirms the virus erupted in China, as there have been medical records found. Taken by local health officials in 1917, these medical records describe people's illnesses in Chinese villages as, respiratory infections.(2015, Vergano, D) Moreover, …show more content…
People would get the virus after they made contact with infected bird feces and proceeded to touch their mouth, eyes or nose. As the clinical reports detailed, the Spanish Flu is a viral disease that weakens the immune system, complicating the respiratory system. If affected, a person would begin to experience normal flu like symptoms including, fever, nausea, aches and diarrhea.(CDC, 2011) In its later stages however, the symptoms would worsen and lead to pneumonia. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention also mentioned that, if left untreated, the individual’s lungs will become filled with puss, blood and bacteria, killing them within hours. The United States first experienced the flu epidemic in March 4, 1918 in Haskell County, Kansas and Fort Riley, Kansas. Then, major outbreaks started to occur in August of September 1917 across the country. The cruel epidemiology of the Spanish influenza led the United States to take action and eliminate the disease. To accomplish this, the government imposed mandatory safety precautions for the well-being of citizens. …show more content…
Much like public gatherings, schools are a primary target for disease spreading. Children at the time of the epidemic had no clue what was going on. They were unsure of what actions they should take and could not take decisions for themselves. According to the CDC, one of the safety measurements taken by the government was to ensure the safety of children was to close public schools. Although, many parents disagreed that schools should be essential for learning and not be taken down, they believed it was vital to stop the disease. The government could not risk putting the life of innocent children in danger because someone brought the virus to school. They did not want to be accused of avoiding preventative actions that could have been taken then and there to ensure the safety of people. As a goal to prevent any more unnecessary deaths in the country, the government enforced additional safety measurements to assure