this post was submitted on 05 Apr 2026
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Science Memes

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submitted 3 months ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
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[–] echodot@feddit.uk 75 points 3 months ago (1 children)

It hasn't disappeared. It's still exists, it's just that if you get it modern antibiotics can kill it.

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 23 points 3 months ago (2 children)

You still have a 5-15% chance of dying with modern antibiotics.

It's the improvement in sanitary practices that ultimately made it a much lesser issue.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 7 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago) (2 children)

And the virus evolved to be less deadly and people evolved to have better immune responses to it.

The "Spanish Flu" still exists, and is all around us. Endemic to humanity. Meaning the H1N1-subtype of the influenza virus. Which killed 50-100 million people in 1918-1920. (Nowadays it's called the seasonal flu)

I'd like to find an image of anti-antivaxxers, from around that time. They had some good burns against the silly antivaxxers and I just can't remember what they were.

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Those are two different things. The bubonic plague is a bacterial infection.

[–] Dasus@lemmy.world 3 points 3 months ago

Oh yeah, I should've said "the disease" but I was already talking about flu epidemics in my head.

Good note, thanks, but for other people, as I understand the difference very well and would never suggest antibiotics as a treatment to virus-borne disease. And the evolution of bacteria is very different from viruses. Hell, we haven't even decided if viruses are technically living or not. Anyway, good point

[–] Auli@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

No its not. The seasonal flu is not the Spanish flu, the seasonal flu is not one virus it is many.

[–] Atomic@sh.itjust.works 3 points 3 months ago

And the fact that everyone else left alive had some form of immunity or resistance.