Norway: Pandemics in the 20th century

[Celvin11]

Pandemics in Norway in the 20th century

Background Facts

Source: Senior Adviser Jan E. Fuglesang, NIPH www.fhi.no/dav/B60046CD8B.ppt (p. 21)


Spanish flu 1918-19: 45 percent of the population affected *: 1.2 million fell ill in Norway, 14,676 died, lethality approximately 1.2%

Asian flu 1957-58: 30-80 percent hit: 1,0-2,8 million fell ill Norway, 1,126 dead, lethality about 1 per thousand

Hong Kong influenza 1968-70: 15-40 per cent affected: 1.5 million fell ill in Norway, 1,768 dead, lethality approximately 2 per thousand

* Resident population in Norway in 1918 was 2,589,785 persons, according to
Statistical Yearbook 1920 (Table 2) http://www.ssb.no/histstat/aarbok/1920.pdf

[Celvin11]

Re: Norway: Pandemics in the 20th century

Increased mortality after 1918

Spanish flu was also a H1N1 influenza type - with a first 'round', which was very mild

Mortality in Norway was a little over 1% of those infected, but for many of the survivors led the Spanish flu of health problems and deaths even after the pandemic was over

Increased mortality after 1918


For those who died was recovery after the Spanish flu often lengthy, and many patients, especially young girls, lost his hair as after typhoid fever. Temporary deafness following otitis media was also not uncommon, and in some cases led to permanent deafness. Particularly hard-infected patients also struggled with sleep problems, mental confusion, depression and difficulty in conducting daily activities and work for a long time. Fears that the disease would come back, also created uncertainty. This contributed NOK to increase sick leave too long after the Spanish flu was over.
Almost a third of Spanish ill patients have experienced heart problems, pulmonary tuberculosis and kidney diseases by 1918. Those who went through the Spanish flu has also been shown to have high risk of developing Parkinson's disease and "sleeping sickness". Globally, more than 500 000 might have died of "sleeping sickness" in the period 1919-1928. In Norway, it was in the same period, reported 268 cases and 52 deaths of "sleeping sickness". In France and Italy have shown that those who were born in the years 1918-1920 have experienced higher mortality later in life course than those who were born before and after this period. The reason might be that infants are extremely susceptible to infections that may have given heart and lung complications. In addition, it may be that women who got the Spanish flu during pregnancy may have had children with malformations including central nervous system.
http://www.ssb.no/ssp/utg/9906/4.shtml http://www.ssb.no/ssp/utg/9906/4.shtml (via google translator from Norwegian)

[Celvin11]

Re: Norway: Pandemics in the 20th century

Spanish flu was discriminatory

Uniforum, Online newspaper for the University of Oslo http://www.uniforum.uio.no/nyheter/2...minerende.html (Norwegian)

Yngve Vogt, 1 September 2004

The highest mortality rate of Spanish flu was in areas with high proportion of the Saami people. Mortality was also high for the working class and people with low income, Svenn-Erik Mamelund establishes in his doctoral thesis about the demographic consequences of the Spanish flu in Norway.

Spanish flu ravaged at worst in Alta, Kautokeino and Karasjok, areas with more than ninety percent Saami. Mortality there was more than four times larger than in the rest of the country.

- The explanation is probably that the Saami had weaker inherited and acquired immunity against influenza than the Norwegians, "said Svenn-Erik Mamelund.

Worse for the poor

Svenn-Erik Mamelund states that the mortality rate for working in Christiania was 30 percent higher than for the middle class and the bourgeoisie

Most of those who died of the disease was between 20 and 40 years.

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Norway: Pandemics in the 20th century

Saami people, Icelanders, Inuits, First Nations, Russians all lived in Cold Winter.

We now know that the temperature of the nose and throat goes down when its cold and influenza virus binds better as such temperature and replicate faster too, would cold temperature raise the viral load for the lungs??.

[ming]

Re: Norway: Pandemics in the 20th century

So, if flu prefers it cold, why then did the soldiers & people nursed in tent hospitals in 1918 fare better than those nursed in proper hospitals.. does anybody know ?

[Snowy Owl]

Re: Norway: Pandemics in the 20th century

The flow of fresh air must be it for something

[Celvin11]

Re: Norway: Pandemics in the 20th century

Explaining four times higher mortality :

- The explanation is probably that the Saami had weaker inherited and acquired immunity against influenza than the Norwegians, "said Svenn-Erik Mamelund