The 1918 flu pandemic was a devastating event that killed an estimated 50 to 100 million people worldwide, with 675,000 deaths in the United States. The disease was caused by a viral particle, and its genetic code was not understood until much later. In the early 20th century, treatments for the flu were ineffective and often harmful, including bloodletting and enemas. Today, we have a better understanding of the flu virus and its genetic makeup, and we have developed vaccines to prevent it. However, the flu vaccine is not very effective, and we still lack real good treatments for the disease.
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