Influenza : $b An epidemiologic studyVaughan, Warren T. (Warren Taylor)
History
Influenza : $b An epidemiologic study
Vaughan, Warren T. (Warren Taylor)
Influenza
At Camp Humphreys, 16 per cent. of the entire personnel developed the
disease. The camp had an average strength of 26,600 individuals.
Fifty-two per cent. of the entire number of cases occurred during the
peak week, which ended October 4th. The outbreak began September 13th
and ended October 18th.
Hirsch and McKinney report that an epidemic of unusual virulence swept
with great rapidity through several organizations in Camp Grant between
September 21, 1918, and October 18, 1918. During this time 9,037
patients were admitted to the Base Hospital, representing about
one-fourth of the strength of the camp, and of these, 26 per cent.
developed pneumonia. About 11 per cent. of the total admissions or 43
per cent. of the total cases of pneumonia died.
Referring to the report of Howard and Love, we quote as follows: “It is
probable that practically all susceptible human material in infected
camps suffered from an attack of the disease during the continuance of
the epidemic. The records from various camps indicate that from 15 to 40
per cent. of commands suffered from an attack of the disease. These
records, as previously stated, do not indicate in full the true
incidence of the disease. Certain good results were accomplished in some
camps by the application of effective and early isolation of patients
and suspects and other measures generally recognized as of value. It was
sometimes possible to retard the progress of the epidemic and cause it
to be spread over a longer period of time. The epidemic thus became less
explosive in character, and fewer people were under treatment at the
same time. It was possible to take better care of the sick and thus
reduce the incidence of and deaths from complicating pneumonia. It has
not been shown that such measures accomplished reduction in the absolute
number of cases of influenza occurring in one command as compared with
another.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account