Spanish Flu

From reddit Pics

View in California, 1918

COVID-19 Questions

- What country has executed the most effective strategy in combating this pandemic? And what was it?

- How many celebrity grandstanders have claimed to have been infected with coronavirus, when they weren’t ... just to grab some headlines?

- How come epidemiologists are producing such a wide range of pandemic predictions with their “models?” One would think that this process should be settled science after we have been through a number of pandemics?

- Why did we ... and the rest of the world ... not shut down our economies during the much more severe Spanish flu in 1918-19?

- Is coronavirus a STD?

- What are the real Chinese infection and death numbers? 10-fold higher ...or even greater than that? What punishment might be levied on China for the worldwide consequences of this duplicity?

- Why are all the American job losses only in the private sector ... while government workers seemingly are immune to layoffs? And will these same government workers also be receiving the $1,200 @ coronavirus stimulus checks for (not) being unemployed? We might also add to this bonanza class retired people (like myself) who have had no interruptions to our income? And private sector employees who have not been let go from their jobs?

- What percentage of our population needs to be infected/recovered with or vaccinated against coronavirus to provide us herd immunity? Does this differ with different diseases (a function of transmissibility)?

Headlines

Biden to Trump: ‘Stop thinking out loud’

Coronavirus live updates: Global deaths top 30,000, RI orders 14-day quarantine for out-of-state travelers

U..S. death toll doubles in two days ... Fauci projects 100,000 - 200,000 ...

It begins: L.A. moves homeless to rec centers as data shows indoor transmission 19x more likely

De Blasio downplays CDC travel advisory

Michigan and Louisiana are becoming virus hot spots, — their governors are warning supplies are running out

Florida state border checkpoints begin ...

Spain: Record 838 dead in single day

Mnuchin task force unanimously shunned Trump’s quarantine idea

Trump backs off quarantine of New York region as CDC advises against nonessential travel

Flashback: Why second wave of 1918 Spanish flu was so deadly ...

French expert: Second study shows malaria drug helps fight coronavirus

Pandemics

For those who want more specifics on our past pandemics, here are some write-ups. I suspect that, the Wikipedia entries might be politically shaded, but nevertheless, since you may have lots of time on your hands, here is a way to spend it.

Spanish flu (1919) — Wikipedia Entry

Asian flu (1957) — Britannica Entry

Hong Kong flu (1968) — Britannica Entry

SARS (2003) — Wikipedia Entry

Swine flu (2009) — Wikipedia Entry

MERS (2012) — Wikipedia Entry

Wuhan flu (2020) — Wikipedia Entry

Today’s Poser

If the 1919 Spanish flu pandemic killed as many as 50 million people worldwide, why didn’t the stock market crash until 10 years later?

Xi’s Legacy

From the above chart one can quickly visualize the state of the world’s anxiety and resentment against China and its virus. But, whatever the level now, angst is bound to grow along with the spread of the coronavirus. I have no idea how long the world’s resentment will linger ... we still don’t hold the 1918 Spanish flu agains Spain ... but China’s image has clearly been tarnished by this virus’s pandemic. And it obviously will be much worse if the term “Wuhan virus” becomes commonplace.

My personal opinion is that China may never return to the economic growth path that it was on before this COVID-19 virus erupted there ... and add to this President Trump’s fortunate recognition of the absolute threat that the unbalanced trade relationship we had had with China. And don’t be surprised if Xi is gone before the leaves fly.

Afterthought: It is interesting that Trump has placed restrictions on travel from the EU on the blue curve  at about the same spot on the yellow curve as he restricted travel from China.