Combating an invisible enemy: the American military response to global pandemics
Abstract The present moment is not the first time that America has found itself at war with a pathogen during a time of international conflict. Between crowded barracks at home and trenches abroad, wartime conditions helped enable the spread of influenza in the fall of 1918 during World War I such t...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2021-01-01
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| Series: | Military Medical Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40779-021-00299-3 |
| _version_ | 1818556503641030656 |
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| author | Lauren K. Dutton Peter C. Rhee Alexander Y. Shin Richard J. Ehrlichman Richard J. Shemin |
| author_facet | Lauren K. Dutton Peter C. Rhee Alexander Y. Shin Richard J. Ehrlichman Richard J. Shemin |
| author_sort | Lauren K. Dutton |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The present moment is not the first time that America has found itself at war with a pathogen during a time of international conflict. Between crowded barracks at home and trenches abroad, wartime conditions helped enable the spread of influenza in the fall of 1918 during World War I such that an estimated 20–40% of U.S. military members were infected. While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is unparalleled for most of today’s population, it is essential to not view it as unprecedented lest the lessons of past pandemics and their effect on the American military be forgotten. This article provides a historical perspective on the effect of the most notable antecedent pandemic, the Spanish Influenza epidemic, on American forces with the goal of understanding the interrelationship of global pandemics and the military, highlighting the unique challenges of the current pandemic, and examining how the American military has fought back against pandemics both at home and abroad, both 100 years ago and today. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T23:48:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2867530306c8439ea4dab209dcb26622 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-9369 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T23:48:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Military Medical Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-2867530306c8439ea4dab209dcb266222022-12-21T23:26:52ZengBMCMilitary Medical Research2054-93692021-01-018111010.1186/s40779-021-00299-3Combating an invisible enemy: the American military response to global pandemicsLauren K. Dutton0Peter C. Rhee1Alexander Y. Shin2Richard J. Ehrlichman3Richard J. Shemin4Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo ClinicDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo ClinicDepartment of Orthopedic Surgery, Mayo ClinicDivision of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Massachusetts General HospitalDivision of Cardiac Surgery, Department of Surgery, Cardiovascular Center at UCLA, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLAAbstract The present moment is not the first time that America has found itself at war with a pathogen during a time of international conflict. Between crowded barracks at home and trenches abroad, wartime conditions helped enable the spread of influenza in the fall of 1918 during World War I such that an estimated 20–40% of U.S. military members were infected. While the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is unparalleled for most of today’s population, it is essential to not view it as unprecedented lest the lessons of past pandemics and their effect on the American military be forgotten. This article provides a historical perspective on the effect of the most notable antecedent pandemic, the Spanish Influenza epidemic, on American forces with the goal of understanding the interrelationship of global pandemics and the military, highlighting the unique challenges of the current pandemic, and examining how the American military has fought back against pandemics both at home and abroad, both 100 years ago and today.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40779-021-00299-3PandemicSpanish influenzaCOVID-19MilitaryInfluenza |
| spellingShingle | Lauren K. Dutton Peter C. Rhee Alexander Y. Shin Richard J. Ehrlichman Richard J. Shemin Combating an invisible enemy: the American military response to global pandemics Military Medical Research Pandemic Spanish influenza COVID-19 Military Influenza |
| title | Combating an invisible enemy: the American military response to global pandemics |
| title_full | Combating an invisible enemy: the American military response to global pandemics |
| title_fullStr | Combating an invisible enemy: the American military response to global pandemics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combating an invisible enemy: the American military response to global pandemics |
| title_short | Combating an invisible enemy: the American military response to global pandemics |
| title_sort | combating an invisible enemy the american military response to global pandemics |
| topic | Pandemic Spanish influenza COVID-19 Military Influenza |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40779-021-00299-3 |
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