The Spanish Flu was a huge part of American History and now, COVID has killed as many people at this point in the pandemic as the Spanish Flu did all together.
The Spanish Flu between 1918 and 1919 killed around 675,000 Americans.
The difference? The population was much smaller back then. It was only a third of what it is today.
This does not make the COVID pandemic any less tragic.
The virus today likely won’t ever go away, like the Spanish Flu didn’t, and experts hope it will become a mild seasonal virus with natural immunity, vaccinations, and repeat infection.
Currently, it appears as if the Delta variant has peaked, but the death toll is still around 1,900 a day for the entire country.
An influential model shows that if another surge does happen this year it will not be as bad as the previous surges.
The best way it seems for humans to combat the virus is by getting vaccinated and surviving infections.
When H1N1 went around, it weakened through mutation and people with natural immunity weren’t becoming infected and spreading it.
The biggest factor is that flu vaccines exist, and many people get them, so the H1N1 was able to taper off before becoming a bigger issue.
Currently, just over 60% of the American population is vaccinated against COVID-19, and it’s not enough to curb the spread, especially since there are so many breakthrough cases.
While breakthrough cases are possible, the chances of hospitalization and death greatly decrease.
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