Covid-19 y gripe de 1918-1919: paralelos históricos, preguntas y respuestas / Covid-19 and the 1918-1919 influenza: historical parallels, questions and answers

Resumen El desarrollo de la pandemia de la covid-19 ha motivado un renovado interés por la gripe de 1918-1919 para buscar elementos que facilitaran la comprensión de la experiencia presente, pero también como oportunidad para reevaluar la grave crisis sanitaria del siglo XX a la luz de lo que estamos viviendo. En este contexto y con ese objetivo se inserta esta reflexión histórica sobre estos dos fenómenos pandémicos, que muestra los paralelismos existentes y la necesidad de una toma de conciencia de que nuestro modelo de sociedad está en crisis y se requiere una transformación profunda.

Abstract The rise of the covid-19 pandemic has led to renewed interest in the 1918-1919 influenza in search of aspects that might help us understand the current situation, but also as an opportunity to re-evaluate the serious twentieth-century health crisis in light of what we are experiencing now. In this context and with that goal, this historical reflection shows the parallels that exist and the need for a realization that our model of society is undergoing a crisis and requires profound transformation.

Diabetic Retinopathy Health Crises in Kurdistan Governorate-Iraq/Erbil

Introduction: The diabetic blindness can be prevented by upto 90%, in the early stages of the disease. At the time ofdiagnosing type two, 21% of them have retinopathy. After 20years of diabetes; the retinopathy affects 60% of type 2 andapproximately all of type 1 diabetic population.Subjects and Methods: This retrospective study comprisedof 1784 diabetic patients. Their vision assessed according tothe international classification of controlling blindness as legallyblind (visual acuity=< 20/200) or socially blind. For thispurpose, the Snellen Eye Chart used at a fixed distance of 20feet. Patients were checked regularly when checkup missed;excluded from the study.Result: About 46% of the diabetic population did not knowwhen their diabetes started with a p-value 0.000, which is avery highly significant correlation. Regarding patientsinformation how to control their diabetes; 82% of them did notknow how to handle the illness, and 76% did not know thedietary restrictions with a very highly significant p-value, thecorrelation between them and legal blindness. About 84.1%presented with legal blindness. After many interventions,37.9% remained legal blindness, but 62.1 improved. While 6%became socially blinded. Around 43.9% were unable to buy theanti-vascular endothelial growth factor drugs, with a p-value= 0.000. About 87.2 % of patients did not perform HbA1Ctwo times per year with very highly significant with the legallyblind.Conclusion: Lack of education program, patient's informationabout the disease, non-referrals, economic crisis and theunavailability of the anti-vascular endothelial growth factor; allcollectively created a blinded diabetic population.