It’s been 100 years since the 1918 influenza pandemic killed millions of people around the world, and while significant strides have been made in science, public health and emergency systems, flu viruses continue to threaten public health.
“What’s different about influenza is its ability to cause pandemics. Most viruses just can’t do that,” said Robert W. Finberg, the Richard M. Haidack Professor of Medicine and chair and professor of medicine, told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette in a Sept. 8 story about the flu pandemic. “Do I think it’s a worry? Yes, it’s a worry. Much more than Ebola. Because we don’t know how to contain it.”
Michael Hirsh, MD, professor of surgery, said much has changed since the pandemic, including how public health systems monitor communities for any signs of a flu outbreak.
Read the full Telegram story to learn more at:
1918 flu pandemic offers lessons for future
