r/askscience Mar 07 '20

Medicine What stoppped the spanish flu?

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u/sprucenoose Mar 07 '20

In the years and decades prior, wouldn't those horses have been around humans every day anyway, just for non-war purposes?

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u/half3clipse Mar 07 '20

Sure.

Except if something like that happens normally...it probably burns itself out pretty quick. Throw in trench warfare...

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u/sniperdude24 Mar 08 '20

Trench warfare had soldiers in close quarters while most likely malnourished and without good medical care.

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u/gw2master Mar 08 '20

Lack of rest and under a ton of stress also. That's why we see young doctors succumbing to things like COVID-19 even though most deaths are the elderly and infirm.