Covid-19 has caught us by surprise. No one expected that in the 21st century a situation of such magnitude could occur. We are used to seeing this type of catastrophe in movies and television series, but something similar could come true was difficult to imagine. However, we have proven once again that reality is stranger than fiction. But this has not been the only time it has happened. In fact, we can talk to you about 5 pandemics that existed before the coronavirus.
swine flu
The so-called swine flu, or more scientifically Influenza AH1N1) it is quite recent. It’s only been a decade since we suffered from it and we’ve overcome it, but at the time it also caused a lot of concern in the population and caused a highly virulent pandemic. 74 countries were affected by swine flu, the point of origin being the United States, although it quickly spread to other territories.
1 in 5 people suffered from Influenza Aalthough it is true that in that case the number of deaths was much lower than with Covid-19, since according to calculations, the mortality rate of H1N1 was only 0.02% of the population.
A difference with the coronavirus that presented the swine flu is that while the Covid mainly attacks the elderly and is respecting children, on the contrary, Influenza A was primed above all with the little ones and did not have much relevance among the older people. greater.
Today, H1N1 still exists, but fortunately we do have a vaccine, which was developed a year after the pandemic.
In 2009 the population also found itself in a situation that it did not expect to experience, because it had been 40 years since such a serious, expansive and unknown disease had occurred.
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AIDS (HIV)
If we continue diving into history, a little further away, although not too far away, is AIDS. Like the swine flu, HIV is still present in today’s society, as are efforts to control its spread and minimize its effects.
It was in the 1980s when HIV appeared and it is another virus that, unfortunately, we have had to get used to, because it has not yet been eradicated. We still do not know the origin of the virus. And there is no cure either, although there are treatments that allow the patient to lead a better life and prevent contagion. In fact, many people live and have been living for years being carriers of the virus and even many others suffer from the disease.
As for the number of deaths, the figure amounts to a total of 32 million people since its inception and until 2018. But recently there has been talk that new cases are occurring, probably because society has lowered its guard regarding preventive measures. It should be clarified that the main route of transmission of AIDS is blood and the exchange of vaginal fluids or semen. hence it is The use of condoms is essential to avoid becoming infected and spreading HIV.
The last we know about AIDS is that a stem cell treatment was being developed and had been successful in curing a few people.
Another pandemic:
H3N2, or Asian and Hong Kong flu
Digging deeper into history. Although when we talk about history, time is counted differently and practically two days ago. Between 1957 and 1968 we have to talk about another pandemic, although in this case according to the WHO, they are mild pandemics. Specifically, these are two strains of Influenza, the H2N2 and H3N2. It was a mix of avian flu with human flu that caused 1 to 4 million deaths worldwide.
The first case of it occurred in Asia. But the appearance of the vaccine was rapid and the pandemic was quickly controlled, so that, as far as it goes, its repercussions were slight. In addition, there were enough antibiotics to combat it.
Later, however, a subtype of the disease originated in China, which was named hong kong flu. This time the contagion was massive. The Vietnam War caused US soldiers to return home infected with the virus, and soon the United States and the Panama Canal were also affected by H3N2 Influenza.
These viruses have not been eradicated either. And every year it reappears, what happens is that thanks to advances in medicine, it is now more controlled and is considered a seasonal cold.
Influenza again, or Spanish flu in 1918
As you can see, the Influenza is an old acquaintance, which is mutating and causing new pandemics until science manages to develop the pertinent treatments to combat and defeat the new type of virus. Until the appearance of Covid-19, the Influenza that attacked more than 500 million people in 1918, or the equivalent of a third of the world’s population, was considered the worst pandemic of the 20th and 21st centuries until a few months ago.
According to calculations, between 20 and 50 million people died of the Spanish flu. Despite its name, this virus does not have Spanish origin, but the first cases arose in the United States and France. What happened is that Spain, unlike the US and France, did not hide the event from the media, depriving its citizens of knowing what was happening. He did it because at that time the First World War was taking place and Spain maintained a neutral position with respect to the conflict, so that unlike those, it did have freedom of the press.
The main victims of the Spanish flu were men and women between the ages of 20 and 40. Since there were no medications, the only treatment that could be given was preventive. For this reason, he also forced himself to be in quarantine and avoid interacting with each other, in addition to maintaining good personal hygiene.
Epidemics that have occurred in Spain:
SARS
Another virus originating in China and also due to bats, as, hypothetically, is the case with Covid-19, although on that occasion it was said that the carrier was the cat, infected in turn by the bat. Of the 21st century this was the first global pandemic. 774 people died and there were about 8,100 infected.
Germany, Hong Kong and the United States worked together to develop a vaccine to control the disease and it was eradicated thanks to the confinement of people and passenger restrictions at airports.
We have seen 5 pandemics, but they are not the only ones. It is also worth remembering others such as Ebola, which caused more than eleven thousand three hundred deaths and affected more than 28 thousand 650 people.
Pandemics, as we are seeing, are cyclical and we are never safe from suffering one of them. Trusting science and being prudent, especially when maintaining good hygiene and good habits in our personal relationships and with others, is the only way, for the moment, to keep these dreaded viruses at bay.
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