Question

What are the similarities between the current pandemic and the Spanish flu of 1918?

Answer 1

The similarities are following:

1) Both the Spanish flu and COVID-19 are very contagious in nature. Both of the diseases are spread by droplet form. So both of them are communicable diseases

2) The causative agent of Spanish flu is H1N1 influenza virus and of COVID-19 is Sars-CoV 2. Both of the diseases are caused by viruses.

3) Genome of both of the viruses are single stranded RNA in nature.

4) Both of the diseases are zoonotic diseases. Zoonotic diseases are those diseases that are spread from animals to humans. Initially both Spanish flu virus and COVID-19 virus were animal viruses. Spanish flu virus is avian in origin whereas Sars Co-V 2 is bat/pangolin in origin.

5) Both of the virus genome mutate by antigenic drift (point mutations- substitution) and antigenic shift (recombination between genomes). Mutation rate is very high for both of them.

6) The average number of people affected from an affected people is around 2 for Spanish flu and is 2.5-3 for COVID-19. So, it is almost same for both of the diseases.

7) For both diseases the death rate is around 2% - 3%. So, both of the diseases are not causing high mortality.