The Irish Experience
In Ireland, it has been observed “there were few who did not lose a relative”. In Wicklow it was estimated that half the population were prostrate due to flu (Foley, 2011). Sometimes whole families were taken by the flu, not one member left alive. People were scared to leave their houses and thoroughfares were deserted. In County Mayo in the Ballycroy area one nurse attended to 3,000 cases of the flu. Deaths of children and breadwinners were not uncommon. A special centre on Achill Island was set up due to lack of medical staff. The nine months of flu in Ireland highlighted the inadequacy of medical care in rural Ireland and if not for community spirit and local religious, social and political groups filling the gaps in medical care the death toll could have been higher (Foley, 2011).
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The flu was one of the most deadly outbreaks of
disease in world history. The flu found its way to every continent decimating
the world’s population. It has been said, however, although it spurred great
activity among the medical profession it had little influence on the structure
and workings of governments, armed forces, corporations or institutions of
learning because it affected all nations equally (Crosby, 2003). In Ireland the flu
infected 800,000 people killing over 20,000, throughout the country there were
incidences of many families being almost wiped out by this new form of
influenza (Foley, 2011), (some argue that it
may not have been flu at all). The outbreak was particularly virulent in hospitals and workhouses.
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