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How climate change affects the pandemics of 1918 and 2020

2020-09-28T14:50:56.980Z


A new study reveals that climate change was part of a unique climate anomaly in a 20th century, which deepened the 1918 pandemic.


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The 1918 Example 1:18

(CNN) -

Numerous scientists have studied how the 1918 flu spread to become the deadliest pandemic in history.

This research is becoming increasingly relevant during the current novel coronavirus crisis.

But little research has been done on how climate change contributed to the 1918 pandemic, until now.

The 1918 flu coincided with the final years of the First World War.

It is well documented that heavy rains and low temperatures affected many battles.

Now, a new study reveals that cold and rainy weather was part of a unique climate anomaly in a century that occurred between 1914 and 1919 and added to the severity of the 1918 pandemic.

“We knew before, of course, from photos and eyewitness testimonies that Europe's battlefields were really muddy and rainy and soldiers died from all kinds of exposure, sometimes even drowning in mud and trenches.

What's news is that it was in fact a six-year anomaly and not just one or two cases, ”said lead researcher Alexander More, a research associate in the Department of History at Harvard University and an assistant professor at the Institute of Climate Change from the University of Maine.

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Climate change in 1918

A team of more than a dozen scientists collected and analyzed an alpine ice core to reconstruct the environmental conditions of Europe during the First World War.

The process involves the use of a laser that melts a little bit of the ice's surface.

In addition, it analyzes the chemicals released by each layer of water vapor.

It is so precise that they can identify the exact seasons of each ice sheet.

The researchers then compared the ice core data to historical death records for that time period and precipitation and temperature records for each month.

The researchers found that the persistent cold and wet weather during the winters of 1915, 1916 and 1918 was caused by abnormally high gusts of sea air from the North Atlantic.

Deaths in Europe peaked three times during World War I with all peaks occurring during or shortly after heavy rains and cold weather, according to the study.

'The rain basically matches the number of people who died.

There is a double peak in the fall of 1918, which is when the second wave and the deadliest wave of the Spanish flu occurred, ”said More, also an associate professor of Public Health at the University of Long Island.

"So of course, since we are seeing the second wave of covid-19 right now and what will happen… this is a warning of what may come."

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Atmospheric anomalies

The study also shows that this six-year atmospheric anomaly may have disrupted the migratory patterns of several species of birds during the war years, including mallard ducks, which are the main animal hosts for H1N1 influenza viruses.

That meant more mallard ducks remained in Europe, where they could continue to transmit the flu to humans through water contaminated with bird droppings.

"It is interesting to think that very heavy rains may have accelerated the spread of the virus," said Philip Landrigan, director of the Global Public Health Program at Boston College, who is not affiliated with the new study.

“One of the things that we have learned in the COVID-19 pandemic is that viruses appear to remain viable longer in moist air than in dry air.

So it makes sense that if the air in Europe were full of humidity during those years of World War I, the transmission of the virus could have accelerated.

Climate change and covid-19

The 1918 investigation bears eerie similarities to the current crisis.

This is because many parts of the world appear to be entering a second wave of covid-19 or remain in a prolonged first wave of the virus.

Not only are many parts of the Northern Hemisphere beginning to see less warm and sunny weather in the transition to fall, but climate change continues to have adverse effects around the world.

For example, the Atlantic is experiencing one of the busiest hurricane seasons on record.

"It's really the convergence of our two main crises: human-made climate change and infectious diseases," More said.

“Absolutely, the weather will affect the likelihood of infectious disease outbreaks.

She has done it in the past and she will do it in the future.

Climate change encourages other diseases

According to More, the same patterns created by weather anomalies that affected the severity and spread of the 1918 flu pandemic are happening right now.

And covid-19 is not the only infectious disease affected by climate change.

“Many other ongoing epidemics are affected by climate and especially man-made climate change.

For example, Zika and dengue are transmitted by mosquitoes, and now those mosquitoes are reaching places they have never been before, ”he said.

"The same can be said for other bacteria and diseases around the world."

In an unprecedented year that seems to bring one crisis after another, climate scientists say it is important to look at the connections between them and how climate-related problems such as extreme weather, storm surges, wildfires, and lack Housing created as a result of natural disasters can create adverse conditions that allow infectious diseases to spread more easily.

"There is no question that they are connected," More said, adding that more interdisciplinary research is needed to better understand the links between climate change and pandemics.

climate change pandemic

Source: cnnespanol

All news articles on 2020-09-28

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