Why It Will Be Hard For COVID To Have A 1918 Second Wave
A lot of social media posts are being shared recently comparing the current COVID-19 outbreak to the 1918 flu pandemic. During the 1918 outbreak, there was a second wave of the virus that hit America in October of that year.
The main cause for the "second wave" in October of 1918 was the end of The Great War, or World War I.
During WWI, the spread of the 1918 flu was accelerated among service members, due to the cramped conditions in overseas warfare. From foxholes to naval ships, soldiers were in close quarters, whether they were ill or not. The flu was just one of many "war diseases", which included dysentery and typhus. The US Navy was estimated to have an infection rate of 40% in 1918.
The end of WWI came quickly in the second half of 1918. The first step of the ending was September 29th with the Armistice of Salonica. The other Central Powers fell like dominoes after, eventually leading to the Treaty of Versailles being signed in June of 1919.
As the war was winding down, soldiers were coming home. Not necessarily, to their doorsteps, but stateside at the least. As these soldiers returned from the battlefield to our shores, or from American bases to their homes, the virus that gripped the military was given a path from shore to shore in the United States. From celebratory parades to basic daily life, the 1918 flu was welcome to spread in a way it had never seen in the previous months.
But there are some other major differences between 2020 and 1918 that will make it difficult for there to be a massive second wave for COVID-19. Here's a look at some of the major changes in our country...