Influenza in New York :: Journalism Health Medical Spanish Flu Essays

Influenza in New York NEW YORK: October 5.--The influenza virus is a common disease, which has been prevalent in society for many years. This year however we are seeing an influenza epidemic hitting not only the United States but also the entire world. This strain of influenza has been named "Spanish Influenza" and is much more volatile and deadly than the usual strain of influenza. The common influenza strain usually surfaces in the cold months of winter and this strain is no different, however it is unusually deadly. The fatality rate is much higher for people ages 15-45 compared to the common influenza, which is usually fatal for the young and old. This makes this particular strain of influenza much different and therefore is causing an epidemic and a certain state of panic across the globe. Here in New York it seems that the Spanish influenza was brought to the city by merchant mariners who were shipping in from the war front in Europe. It seems that Spanish influenza is spreading so quickly because of the war. With so many soldiers in tight quarters and in the trenches the disease is able to spread much quicker than before. These soldiers are coming home from the war to cities such as ours and unfortunately are bringing the virus with them. This is causing the spread of Spanish influenza not only through the military but also into the civilian population. Due to the rapid spread of the disease, many steps are being taken by the Public Health Department to try to curb the rapid spread into the civilian population. These actions may seem severe but they are necessary in order to make sure New York has as few fatalities from this epidemic as possible. The first step being taken is quarantining those coming in from Europe who are showing symptoms of the virus or have been in close contact with anyone else showing the symptoms. This is to ensure that these people do not ride in public transportation and transfer the virus to unsuspecting civilians. People are also being inspected for the influenza virus at railroad stations across the city. This is to ensure that the infected do not ride the train and pass the virus on to not only the people on board but also to the population of their destination city.