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The symptoms of the "Spanish flu" were very similar to the symptoms of all strains of influenza viruses. It would start out with upper respiratory symptoms like runny and stuffy nose, cough, and sneezing. Then muscle and joint aches and fever would usually begin, with fevers often very high, in the area of 104 degrees F., and with marked fatigue. Sometimes, that was the extent of the symptoms, ending in around a week's time. But for many, the respiratory symptoms would progress to pneumonia and the body would increase the defenses, often to the point of a "cytokine storm", which was usually fatal.

A cytokine storm is thought to have been the cause of many, if not most, of the 1918 Pandemic deaths from Spanish Flu. It is an over-reaction of the immune system. With a respiratory infection, that causes the body to send massive amounts of fluids, to flush the infection out, along with immune cells. These fluids and cells move to the lungs so quickly they can accumulate and close off the airways. Respiratory failure and death can result, and did, especially among young and healthy infected individuals who had strong immune systems that could make overly strong responses.

The "Spanish Flu" is what the pandemic influenza from 1918 has been called because the reports of the flu that many people first heard originated in Spain, so many people assumed that was also the origin of the flu. However, it probably started in other locations, but due to WWI, the news did not get out about it until cases were reported in the still operational newspapers of Spain.

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Melvin Sipes

Lvl 10
4y ago

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