The details of the 1918 pandemic were published in an article written by Dr. Anthony Fauci and David M. Morens. The article highlights the tragedy of the pandemic, as well as the immense importance it brought. In the article, biological information is presented through digital resources to inform both the general and professional public about details that would otherwise be difficult to obtain.
The abstract of the publication:
“The 1918–1919 H1N1 influenza pandemic was among the most deadly events in recorded human history, killing an estimated 50–100 million persons. Because recent H5N1 avian epizootics have been associated with sporadic human fatalities, concern has been raised that a new pandemic, as fatal as the pandemic of 1918, or more so, could be developing. Understanding the events and experiences of 1918 is thus of great importance. However, despite the genetic sequencing of the entire genome of the 1918 virus, many questions about the 1918 pandemic remain. In this review we address several of these questions, concerning pandemic-virus origin, unusual epidemiologic features, and the causes and demographic patterns of fatality. That none of these questions can yet be fully answered points to the need for continued pandemic vigilance, basic and applied research, and pandemic preparedness planning that emphasizes prevention, containment, and treatment with antiviral medications and hospital-based intensive care.”