Thread by @MamaToronto

“Study: Bacterial pneumonia was main killer in 1918 flu pandemic
Robert Roos August 22, 2008”

cidrap.umn.edu/influenza-vacc…

🧵

H/T @CovidCanada1

“It was secondary bacterial pneumonia—not the influenza virus by itself—that killed most of the millions who perished in the 1918 flu pandemic…

…which suggests that current pandemic preparations should include stockpiling of antibiotics & bacterial vaccines, influenza researchers reported this week.”

“"Histological and bacteriologic evidence suggests that the vast majority of influenza deaths resulted from secondary bacterial pneumonia," says the report by David M. Morens, MD, Jeffery K. Taubenberger, MD, PhD, and NIAID Director Anthony S. Fauci, MD.”

“"In essence, the virus landed the first blow while bacteria delivered the knockout punch," said Fauci in an NIAID news release.”

“At the time of the pandemic, nearly all experts agreed that deaths were almost never caused by the then-unidentified flu virus itself…

…"but resulted directly from severe secondary pneumonia caused by well-known bacterial 'pneumopathogens' that colonized the upper respiratory tract”…

… The most common pathogens were pneumococci, streptococci, and staphylococci.”

“Because they found evidence of many different types of invading bacteria, it was probably not due to specific virulent bacterial strains...

…Instead, they speculate that "any influenza virus with an enhanced capacity to spread to and damage bronchial and/or bronchiolar epithelial cells" could pave the way for bacteria in the upper respiratory tract to invade the lungs and cause a severe infection.”

“The authors suggest that, as in past pandemics, secondary bacterial pneumonia is likely to be the leading killer in the next pandemic—if it is caused by "a human-adapted virus similar to those recognized since 1918.”

“If that's the case, they assert, pandemic preparations must go beyond the development and stockpiling of influenza vaccines and antiviral drugs; efforts should also include the stockpiling of antibiotics and bacterial vaccines to protect against bacterial pneumonia.”

“Study may change thinking

William Schaffner, MD, an influenza expert & chairman of the Dept of Preventive Medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, said the new study may change the general understanding of the causes of death in the 1918 pandemic”

"The general notion at least heretofore is that there were two kinds of deadly illnesses, the first caused by the virus all by itself,"…

…"We know that the influenza virus can cause primary pneumonia, and the time course was so brief from onset to death in many patients that it was thought this was likely due to an extremely virulent influenza virus—an influenza virus on steroids."”

“But it has also been assumed that bacterial pneumonia often complicated flu cases then, as it does today, and was fatal for many patients in that pre-antibiotic era, he added…

… "So the general notion was that there were two causes of death. The general sense was that the former, the virus, was more important than the latter. This comes largely from repeated stories about the rapidity with which this carried people off."”

“But the findings of Morens and colleagues indicate that secondary bacterial pneumonia was the more common cause of death. "The impressive thing is, though this is a tiny, tiny sample of what went on, they showed bacterial pneumonia was extraordinarily common,"…

… "I think they make the point that it was in every one of the autopsy sections they examined. I have to tell you that made me sit up."”

“We’re noticing that whether it’s child, or adult, or elderly person, if they’ve had COVID, their risk for a worse outcome from the other viruses is increased”.

https://twitter.com/Sandyboots2020/status/1596208515097702400?s=20&t=as7p_rlN_OM4PWJlrPnfkA

H/T @FurnessColin

https://twitter.com/TheAgenda/status/1592317708720230402?s=20&t=mo7oFRI7385GjhH_ZVM5Ng

“A virus has 2 strategies, broadly speaking, in terms of being successful… It can mutate to change its appearance to avoid the immune system…but it can also attack the immune system as another legitimate strategy…”

https://twitter.com/CHEO/status/1590430577131487232?s=20&t=_9Om3aQTHcdmX3DRtyucXA

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

https://twitter.com/drmwarner/status/1590756246507773952?s=20&t=xlHwLUkbRB6JUbv_zYi4gA

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

https://twitter.com/KashPrime/status/1591985992889929728?s=20&t=cTa2CMbtYulEHJ04hEWruQ

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

https://twitter.com/JonathanCOnP/status/1592129390984704002?s=20&t=cTa2CMbtYulEHJ04hEWruQ

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

“'Massive surge' of sick kids could force hospitals to triage care: ER doctor”

“An ER physician is warning that the situation in ON's health-care system is spiralling out of control, & urging elected leaders to consider reintroducing mask mandates.”

ctvnews.ca/health/massive…

https://twitter.com/AlexMunter/status/1592211475711799296?s=20&t=6lJM4ZEftBBrk4FPFuHv8w

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

“There are a ton of viruses circulating in communities right now… but it’s the “tripledemic” of RSV, influenza & COVID-19 that are making kids sick enough to require hospitalization, says Dr. Joe Oliver, a paediatrician in Hamilton, ON”

https://twitter.com/Todaysparent/status/1597772511718023171?s=20&t=V6y6PSwCWr2I2EuphhCQvw

“In terms of which virus is affecting kids the most, it’s hard to measure, particularly as a lot of kids actually have multiple viral infections, due to a weakened immune system.”

todaysparent.com/kids/kids-heal…

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

“Red Cross staff to help CHEO get through respiratory virus season

Ottawa children's hospital says workers could start as early as next week”

cbc.ca/news/canada/ot…

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

https://twitter.com/amandalhu/status/1600004592942870528?s=20&t=u35chW47MGpiBuxtjNRaPg

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

https://twitter.com/NatashaFatah/status/1599560610748182528?s=20&t=yJewY8xAheBWGpr3w5oC7Q

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

“March 2020, but for kids…”

https://twitter.com/drawolak/status/1600584781406044160?s=20&t=-5S_o1vhgyfzuFaB6o8OlQ

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

https://twitter.com/coopSpeak/status/1600588522905341985?s=20&t=-0YBRl9KzftN-dxOrGJgqw

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

Current count up to 9

Children

https://twitter.com/ourkaty/status/1598749629104914437?s=20&t=GbiXE7QBhKJmyuHPJdh2KQ

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

https://twitter.com/autistikait/status/1598669383500529664?s=20&t=HCqHWd-U-wz2x41pZDLyQg

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

🧵 H/T @lisa_iannattone

https://twitter.com/lisa_iannattone/status/1600363376311271424?s=20&t=_PxVxztRCDWYGJFBEMWJyg

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

Less talk, more action:

H/T @namshine

https://twitter.com/TheAgenda/status/1593247993532100610?s=20&t=uKk9-hH7-jAxph9QN6a_LA

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

https://twitter.com/BrooksFallis/status/1590836619111710720?s=20&t=xlHwLUkbRB6JUbv_zYi4gA

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

@PingThread Unroll

WHO:

“Never in the history of public health has herd immunity been used as a strategy for responding to an outbreak. Let alone a pandemic. It’s scientifically and ethically problematic”.

https://twitter.com/rizzizzy/status/1507231378920067075?s=20&t=dzgo31TeqtXO3EmOKmgOMg

…

WHO:

“Allowing a dangerous virus that we don’t fully understand to run free is simply unethical. It’s not an option”.

https://twitter.com/rizzizzy/status/1507224086505996288?s=20&t=dzgo31TeqtXO3EmOKmgOMg

…

https://twitter.com/mvankerkhove/status/1498552109444251648?s=20&t=xYG6ZvtkfFCDKm2Iy1_sAQ

#LongCovidKids

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

“Many of these children unfortunately have had #C19 infections over the past number of months, and there is increasing evidence that #C19 has caused a dysregulation of our immune systems making us even more susceptible to these other viruses…

https://twitter.com/CTVVancouver/status/1600656682429939712?s=20&t=xYG6ZvtkfFCDKm2Iy1_sAQ

🧵

https://twitter.com/MamaToronto/status/1600852121842495489?s=20&t=Cw7tOPPBGmOK0Q3eS7BlsQ

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

🧵

https://twitter.com/MamaToronto/status/1594694013319356416?s=20&t=AfTqXzGlnueZaSRKYUd3yA

#ProtectNotInfect
#SayAirborne

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All

You take more care with kids, not less

Related 🧵

H/T @jheighton3

https://twitter.com/jheighton3/status/1600863220600045570?s=20&t=tagf-Oy86mbaR4p7dPZ2wg

#ProtectNotInfect

#BringBackMasks
#N95s4All