Influenza : $b An epidemiologic studyVaughan, Warren T. (Warren Taylor)
History
Influenza : $b An epidemiologic study
Vaughan, Warren T. (Warren Taylor)
Influenza
At Camp Humphreys, Virginia, 16 per cent. of the camp was attacked by
the disease; 28 per cent. of influenza cases had pneumonia; 10 per cent.
of influenza cases died; and 35 per cent. of pneumonia cases died. One
and six tenths per cent. of the population of the camp died from
influenza. 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.
Between September 21st and October 18th, 1918, 9,037 patients were
admitted to the Base Hospital at Camp Grant. This represented about
one-fourth of the strength of the camp. Of these 26 per cent. developed
pneumonia and 43 per cent. of the pneumonia cases died. Death occurred
to about 11 per cent. of the total admissions.
The death rate at Camps Devens, Sherman and Grant were among the highest
of all of the camps in this country. The annual death rate from all
causes per 1,000 for the four last months of 1918 were 132 for Camp
Cody, 123 for Syracuse, 116 for Camp Sherman, 102 for Camp Beauregard,
97.3 for Camp Grant, 75.0 for Camp Dix, 67.0 for Camp Devens. These
seven camps stood out high above the majority. By far the majority, 28
camps, had an annual rate between 61.9 and 25.5 per 1,000. Only four
camps recorded lower rates than the latter figure.
The Municipal Statistics of Paris showed that during the first half of
October, 1918, the average weekly mortality was from two to three times
that of nonepidemic years. The returns for the Departments of France
also showed a mortality three times above the average for previous
years, though not uniformly so. In the Departments the mortality from
influenza did not exceed 10 per cent. and in many cases it was below 5
per cent. On the other hand cases admitted to hospital, which consisted
of the worst forms of the disease, showed a mortality varying between 12
and 30 per cent. Returns received from Italy were similar. The disease
in that country was especially severe in the northern part and in the
provinces bordering on Switzerland. Marcus, of Stockholm, reported in
September, 1918, that the epidemic in Sweden was running a very severe
course, more than 1,000 deaths having occurred up to the time of his
report. According to Weber, 2,770 deaths occurred in Berlin during
October, 1918, from influenza and pneumonia alone. In Vienna there died
from influenza between September 1st and October 19th, 1918, 3,125
persons. The deaths in Vienna from influenza and pneumonia normally
total 40 to 50 per week. At the highest point of the epidemic this
number had increased to 1,468. Böhm estimates the total influenza
incidence in Vienna as 180,000 cases, with a probable mortality around
1.7 per cent. Dunlop estimates that the total number of influenza deaths
in Scotland in the winter of 1918–19 may be assessed at 20,000.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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