Slide: 1

Good Morning Mr. Yule and fellow classmates, today I will be discussing the Spanish
flu. Does it ring a bell? Surprisingly, many are unaware of its deadly history as the
pandemic is infamous for taking the lives of more people than that of World War I,
but it also killed more people than all the wars of the 20th century combined at a
staggering 30 to 50 million people, or 2 percent of the world's population at the
time. Slide 2: I shall begin with the flus effects upon the respiratory system. The
Spanish Influenza is mainly a respiratory virus that produces various respiratory
symptoms such as; a cough, breathing problems, sore throat, runny nose and
congestion. Infact, a study has shown that the virus triggers death in the cells lining
the respiratory tract. Some of these effects are outlined in the image to the right
showing an inflamed part of the respiratory system. Slide 3: Moreover, the Spanish
influenza takes its toll on the human body, disrupting the respiratory system along
with causing other systemic effects such as a fever, fatigue and muscle pain. An
affected individual would typically experience a fever in which body temperature
increases temporarily along with muscle pain in which ligaments, tendons, and
fascia may all be involved. Fascia are the soft tissues that connect muscles, bones,
and organs. Such muscle pain may cause discomfort or annoyance to the patient.
Finally, a patient of the flu may also be subjected to fatigue in which an individual
may feel a great need or desire to rest for long periods continuously, feeling
overworked. Slide 4: Now, moving on to the treatment and management of the
Spanish influenza. Generally-speaking, the flu can be managed or treated through a
list of simple methods. Prevention is key to avoiding the influenza altogether, in
saying this, actions such as covering ones mouth during a sneeze or cough,
ensuring you are surrounded by a clean atmosphere and staying away from those
who can be potentially ill are the most effective ways of doing so. On the other
hand, at the Quarantine station, patients of the flu were subjected to a more
methodical process in which those who were believed to be ill were isolated and
moved to the hospital immediately. From there, the patients had their clothes
sterilized through a steam-cleaning process to rid them of any pathogens whilst
they showered in carbonic acid, ridding them of any further bacteria or
microorganisms which prevented any further secondary, bacterial infections. In
addition, patients diagnosed with the secondary bacterial infection of pneumonia
were given antibiotics as it was a result of the flu and surprisingly the cause of
many deaths. Part of the treatment process at the station involved being subjected
to an inhalation chamber containing zinc sulphate which supposedly protected the
patients from the Spanish flu. Interestingly, a report of the National Institute of
Health shows that many patients of the Spanish flu could have been able to survive
if it wasnt for the pneumonia that developed along with the virus itself. Despite the
stations efforts, a patient was either cured or stated deceased within 40 days of
their arrival. Slide 5: In addition to the stations management strategies, I shall
discuss my personal experience within the Quarantine station. At first I thought of it
as an absurd and awful place to be, shortly before realizing that I was going to be
helped and aided if I were to be affected by such a flu. The greenery and lavish view
of the harbor triggered me to reflect upon my life, it almost gave me a sense of
purpose to remain at the station. The infected patients whom had days to live and

the grotesque bodies of the dead turned me off from the whole experience.
Nevertheless, the doctors and medical staff were ever so nice with their treatment
as they gave me the good news that my body had fought off a weaker strand of the
virus. Overall, although I disliked the constantly crowded rooms of sneezes and
common sights of the deceased, the station had taught me to continue valuing life
for what it is. Thank you Mr. Yule and fellow pupils of 10B1, I hope you have gained
a better understanding of the deadly virus known as the Spanish influenza.