[OldGoatCPO]

From what I read, the 1918 flu was a garden variety flu. It hit at the perfect time, WWI, soldier’s with weakened immune systems, men heavily concentrated in Camps with rudimentary sanitation and limited medical staff. I believe ground zero for the pandemic was traced to an Army encampment in the Midwest. Factor in a society totally unprepared medically or scientifically to deal with even the most mundane version of the flu virus.

I do not believe the 1918 version of the flu virus would be as big a threat today. But then who would have predicted the stupidity of the modern medical profession during COVID?

[EEGator]

It was the exact opposite of a normal strain. The young and old didn’t die.
Healthy men died from their immune system overreaction.
It’s called a cytokine storm.

[blackdog]

Corona viruses are a threat to the elderly, diabetics, and people with underlying (and costly) health conditions. They are tinkering with targeted Eugenics. We are the enemy and anything is their weapon. Food, medicine, etc.....85% of your Healthcare costs come in the last 10% of your life. So why not just mitigate the costs? Why maintain an expense among the masses? Retirement life will be a luxury afforded to only the ruling class.

[Jonty30]

As I understand it, bacterium and viruses are exchanging genetic information all the time with their hosts and fellow bacterium and viruses. On occasion, they will exchange the right information that turns them from relatively benign to very dangerous and contagious.

Nature doesn’t want to do that because ideally the sweet spot is being contagious but not dangerous. Dead hosts do not benefit virus.

Both the Spanish Flu and the Black Plague were virulent versions of relatively benign viruses and bacterium.

[pepsionice]

To point this out...there was a massive flu epidemic in 1889/1890. Caused massive death throughout Europe.