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Using Experience in Previous Epidemics for Effective Containing SARS-CoV-2: Spanish Influenza 1918 and Beyond

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SARS-CoV-2 and Coronacrisis

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Abstract

Despite SARS-CoV-2 being a closest genetic relation of SARS-CoV that caused SARS 2002–2004 pandemic, it caused quite different epidemic situation than SARS-CoV. In this Chapter, we study the reasons for it. We propose several possible explanations of its epidemic disparity with SARS-CoV. 1. SARS-CoV incubation period is at least two times less than that of SARS-CoV-2, so potentially the latter virus may infect twice as more people before any symptoms of a carrier are clear. 2. In case of SARS pandemic of 2002–2004, public healthcare measures such as rapid locating and isolating the disease sources, were a lot more successful than now. 3. During eighteen years that passed since the SARS pandemic, the humanity dramatically changed: (1) almost two additional billion people appeared on Earth since 2002 (7.8 bln vs 6.1 bln); (2) the mobility of humanity prodigiously increased; and (3) the electronic network connections reached an unseen level, and that led to the appearance of permanent global tourism phenomenon based on the huge mobility and psychological necessity in the network recognisability and fame (network rankings, “views,” “likes,” dangerous videos uploads, the numbers of “followers” and “friends”, etc.). Artificial boundaries against the world uncontrolled globalisation must be established and kept, be they physical, mental, digital, national, religious or any other. The 1918 Spanish Influenza pandemic is very similar to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in its geographical spread, contagiousness and demographical impact. We suggest a number of public policy measures of SARS-CoV-2 more effectual containment based on the 1918 Influenza medical and social history.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cryoendocrinology, Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Dean of Temple of St Transfiguration in Kharkov, Ukrainian Orthodox Church, 23 Pereyaslavskaya St., Kharkiv, 61016, Ukraine

    Fr archpriest Evgeny I. Legach

  2. Department of Cryoendocrinology, Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 23 Pereyaslavskaya St., Kharkiv, 61016, Ukraine

    Galyna A. Bozhok

  3. Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Vavilov St., Moscow, 119334, Russia

    Konstantin S. Sharov

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  1. Fr archpriest Evgeny I. Legach
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  1. Institute for Problems of Cryobiology and Cryomedicine of National Academy of Sciences, Kharkov, Ukraine

    Fr archpriest Evgeny I. Legach

  2. Koltzov Institute of Developmental Biology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia

    Konstantin S. Sharov

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Legach, F.I., Bozhok, G.A., Sharov, K.S. (2021). Using Experience in Previous Epidemics for Effective Containing SARS-CoV-2: Spanish Influenza 1918 and Beyond. In: Legach, F.a.E.I., Sharov, K.S. (eds) SARS-CoV-2 and Coronacrisis. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2605-0_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-2605-0_1

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