Existing comment:
Did the people who survived the 1918 flu experience any lasting effects on their bodies of health?
Negative long-term health effects greatly impacted those who were in utero during the pandemic. During prenatal stages, exposure to the 1918 influenza virus increased the chances an individual might develop a variety of health complications later in life, including: cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and developmental and mental disorders.
Adults and children who survived the 1918 influenza carried the antibodies for that strain with them for the rest of their lives, providing partial protection against similar strains, particularly the 2009 H1N1 virus. Scientists are studying these antibodies and can perhaps use them to develop protection against similar strains in the future. |