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https://metro.co.uk/2018/09/20/dead...-50-million-could-return-doctors-say-7965569/
Deadly Spanish flu that killed 50 million could return, doctors say
Lucy MiddletonThursday 20 Sep 2018 10:51 pm
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A doctor has warned that an outbreak of an influenza similar to the deadly Spanish flu could happen again in the 21st century.
Dr Fari Ahmad was asked about the return of the disease, which killed 50 million in 1918, on BBC Breakfast today.
The Cheshire practitioner said that people should not be ‘complacent’ in the assumption that a pandemic of that scale could not take place.
The Spanish flu killed around 50 million people when it broke out after World War One (Picture: Getty Images)
‘In theory, yes, the flu has not gone away completely and it’s certainly not harmless,’ Dr Ahmad said.
‘When the Spanish flu happened I don’t think people quite understood what was going on for a while.
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‘We understand how the flu spreads so I think we are in a better place, but I wouldn’t say be complacent.’
The Spanish flu was a lethal influenza that broke out towards the start of 1918 and lasted for approximately two years.
It infected 500 million people around the world, with the first known cases being discovered in Spain, where it got its name.
Approximately 50 million people lost their lives to the disease, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history.
Up to 250,000 people are thought to have died in the UK alone.
It is believed that the virus was spread quicker than usual due to unique conditions following World War One such as poor hygiene and overcrowded medical camps and hospitals.
Earlier this year, Dr Jonathan Quick, chair of the Global Health Council, stated that he believed the next flu pandemic was lurking just around the corner.
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Writing in a piece for Mailonline, he said: ‘The most likely culprit will be a new and unprecedentedly deadly mutation of the influenza virus.
‘The conditions are right. It could happen tomorrow.
‘The good news is that there is much we can do to prevent this. The bad news is that much of it is not being done.’
A BBC programme about the Spanish influenza called The Flu That Killed 50 Million will air on Tuesday, September 25, at 9pm..
Deadly Spanish flu that killed 50 million could return, doctors say
Lucy MiddletonThursday 20 Sep 2018 10:51 pm
Share this article via facebookShare this article via twitterShare this article via messenger
A doctor has warned that an outbreak of an influenza similar to the deadly Spanish flu could happen again in the 21st century.
Dr Fari Ahmad was asked about the return of the disease, which killed 50 million in 1918, on BBC Breakfast today.
The Cheshire practitioner said that people should not be ‘complacent’ in the assumption that a pandemic of that scale could not take place.
The Spanish flu killed around 50 million people when it broke out after World War One (Picture: Getty Images)
‘In theory, yes, the flu has not gone away completely and it’s certainly not harmless,’ Dr Ahmad said.
‘When the Spanish flu happened I don’t think people quite understood what was going on for a while.
Warning to contact lens users after outbreak of infection that causes blindness‘We understand how the flu spreads so I think we are in a better place, but I wouldn’t say be complacent.’
The Spanish flu was a lethal influenza that broke out towards the start of 1918 and lasted for approximately two years.
It infected 500 million people around the world, with the first known cases being discovered in Spain, where it got its name.
Approximately 50 million people lost their lives to the disease, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history.
Up to 250,000 people are thought to have died in the UK alone.
It is believed that the virus was spread quicker than usual due to unique conditions following World War One such as poor hygiene and overcrowded medical camps and hospitals.
Earlier this year, Dr Jonathan Quick, chair of the Global Health Council, stated that he believed the next flu pandemic was lurking just around the corner.
Threat of developing dementia soars by 40% in areas of high air pollutionWriting in a piece for Mailonline, he said: ‘The most likely culprit will be a new and unprecedentedly deadly mutation of the influenza virus.
‘The conditions are right. It could happen tomorrow.
‘The good news is that there is much we can do to prevent this. The bad news is that much of it is not being done.’
A BBC programme about the Spanish influenza called The Flu That Killed 50 Million will air on Tuesday, September 25, at 9pm..
