Right, because sanitation and medicine are exaclty the same now as in 1918. I'm sure that having thousands upon thousands of soldiers huddled together in trenches didn't help to spread the bug either.
Seriously, the 1918 references are ridiculous.
While modern medicine has advanced greatly since 1918, a modern flu pandemic could have consequences that are just as bad.
Sanitation: Yes, it has gotten better, but has it really done anything to prevent people from getting sick? The flu mainly spreads because someone sneezes or coughs, and you breathe that in. Being clean is a great way to prevent food poisoning or gastroenteritis, but it doesn't do much to prevent flu transmission. Close quarters will make the flu spread like wildfire, and we've already got that: one kid gets the flu, a week later half the school has it, and now it's spread all over town. Very difficult to stop.
Antiviral medication: These are cool, but of limited usefulness. The first problem is that some strains are resistant to antiviral medications. It really depends on the strain and the medication, but the point is that viruses can mutate quickly, so there is no guarantee that antivirals will save you. The other problem is that these medications are of somewhat limited usefulness. In practice, they reduce the length and severity somewhat, and that's great because you can get to work a day sooner. But it isn't a cure, and if you don't start on antiviral medications quickly, they won't be effective.
Support: With more advanced medical equipment/knowledge, we're much better able to deal with keeping alive someone who is very sick. However, there is a caveat: if a truly nasty strain such as the 1918 one came about, sick people would be out of luck. Many hospitals are already way over capacity. If people were dropping dead left and right from the flu, which is a possibility, then it's unlikely that there would be enough resources to take care of all of them. Some hospitals are developing 'what-if' type of plans, but at the end of the day, there just aren't enough beds for everyone to be sick at once.
That said, I doubt this flu season will be the death of us all. And yes, as always, the media is hyping it up. But it's not all hype - there is a real possibility that many people will die, and it is certain that many more will get sick.
If you're a vaccine non-believer, you don't
have to get the shot. But I will, and I think it's a good idea for most people. You can get it without the thimeserol if you're worried about that.
