Influenza: The Hundred-Year Hunt to Cure the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic

by Dr Jeremy Brown

this is on the home page of the CDC’s flu site: It can cause mild to severe illness. Serious outcomes of flu infection can result in hospitalization or death. Some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions, are at high risk of serious flu complications. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated each year. The CDC’s approach to flu is that it is a potentially deadly disease that can be prevented with a vaccine. The British take another approach. Here is the advice about the flu from their National Health Service: Flu is a common infectious viral illness spread by coughs and sneezes. It can be very unpleasant, but you’ll usually begin to feel better within about a week. . . . [If you are an otherwise healthy adult] there’s usually no need to see a doctor if you have flu-like symptoms. The best remedy is to rest at home, keep warm and drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration. There’s no mention of death as a complication. It’s all very “keep calm and carry on,” just like it was during the 1918 pandemic. At most, according to the British, influenza can be a bit of a nuisance: Most people will make a full recovery and won’t experience any further problems, but elderly people and people with certain long-term medical conditions are more likely to have a bad case of flu or develop a serious complication, such as a chest infection.