Panther Prints | Issue 4 | May 2020

@PESHPRINTS News • 7
Modern pandemics
by Gracie Warhurst
pidemiologists use experience from past pandemics, including the 1918 influenza (flu) and Swine flu, as resources to more effec-
combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommended steps for individuals worldwide include coordination among leadership,
Etively
monitoring and reducing spread, continuity of health care, efficient communication of information, facilitating the goal of managing the
outbreak, and developing a vaccine to prevent further outbreaks.
H1N1 “SPANISH FLU” (1918-1920)
Origin: Disputed
Cause: Avian influenza A.
Death Toll: 50 million worldwide, 675,000 in the U.S.
Age group most affected: 20 to 40 years
The magnitude of the H1N1 virus increased due to unhygienic
conditions of World War I soldiers at the time,
prompting the CDC to consider the pandemic the worst in
recent history. Researchers did not understand the cause
of the virus at the time but used knowledge of previous
diseases to develop a vaccine. Without a vaccine, worldwide
control measures included non-pharmaceutical
methods such as isolation efforts similar to the response
against COVID-19.
1900
1910
1920
1930
H3N2 FLU (1968)
Origin: Hong Kong
Cause: Influenza A virus
Death Toll: 1 million worldwide, 100,000 in the U.S.
Age group most affected: Infants, elderly and otherwise susceptible
Because the virus contained the same N2 subtype from
the H2N2 virus, those who became infected with H2N2
built up an immunity to H3N3. Scientists developed a
vaccine against the virus after its peak in many countries.
This flu continues to infect humans seasonally and
is most fatal to those over 65 years old.
H1N1pdm09 “SWINE” FLU (2009-2010)
Origin: Pigs in the U.S.
Cause: Flu gene combination
Death Toll: 151,700 to 575,400 worldwide; 12,469 in the U.S.
Age group most affected: Children and middle-aged adults
Most adults over the age of 60 had already built up antibody
resistance from exposure to previous H1N1 viruses,
so the swine flu affected children and middle-aged
adults disproportionally. A vaccine for this strain of the
flu became available by September 2009.
Virus illustrations by Gracie Warhurst
1940
1950
1990
2020
H2N2 FLU (1957-1958)
Origin: East Asia
Cause: Avian influenza A
Death Toll: 1.1 million worldwide, 116,000 in the U.S.
Age group most affected: Infants, elderly and otherwise
susceptible
This is the least severe of the flu pandemics in the 20th
century and no longer exists after mutating into the H3N2
virus. Scientists developed a vaccine quickly, first distributing
it in the U.S. August 1957, six months after the
virus was first detected. In combination with an availability
of antibiotics to treat secondary infections, countries
could contain the spread and mortality of the pandemic.
HIV/AIDS (PEAK IN 2005)
Origin: African chimpanzees
Cause: Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)
Death Toll: 3 million worldwide at its peak
Age group most affected: 20 to 24 year olds
HIV arrived in the United States in the 1970s, though did not
gain prevalence until the 1980s. In 2018, 37.9 million people
were living with HIV, which spreads through transfer of
bodily fluids. Scientists are working to create a preventative
vaccine for the disease; however, antiretroviral therapy — a
combination of antiretroviral drugs — can slow the disease,
reduce further complications and prolong life expectancy
when taken consistently.
SARS-CoV-2 (CORONAVIRUS) (2019–present)
Origin: Wuhan, China
Cause: Animal strain of coronavirus
Death Toll: 297,000 worldwide, 84,763 in the U.S. (at time of publication)
Age group most affected: elderly and those otherwise susceptible
Some reports trace the earliest cases back to a Chinese seafood
market in December. The virus first reached the U.S. in
January, affecting Texans by early March. The CDC recommends
everyone practice social distancing including staying
at least 6 feet away from others and remaining home as much
as possible.