Variable mortality during the 1918 influenza pandemic in Chicago

[tetano]

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Apr 6. pii: 201701344. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1701344114. [Epub ahead of print]
[h=1]Variable mortality during the 1918 influenza pandemic in Chicago.[/h] Shanks GD[SUP]1[/SUP], Brundage JF[SUP]2[/SUP].
[h=3]Author information[/h]

PMID: 28386048 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1701344114

 

[Emily]

[h=1]Full text here:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5422799/[/h]

In their commentary, Chowell and Viboud (9) discuss the age-specific mortality peak at 28 y of age; the finding is unique and unexplained (10). There is no plausible relationship between the young adult mortality peak and social circumstances. However, the unusual mortality curve may reflect a cohort effect; for example, if infections of infants during the 1890 influenza pandemic increased mortality risk during the 1918 pandemic, the mortality peak in 1918 would be among 28-y-olds (6).
In summary, the subject report clearly documents a relationship between social circumstances and mortality in Chicago during the 1918 influenza pandemic; however, the causal link between social circumstances and influenza mortality remains undefined.