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.

Vacunas SARS-CoV-2 / Vaccines SARS-CoV-2

Vaccines are biological products that stimulate the immune system to generate specific responses and immune memory. Faced with the magnitude of the problem caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, there is an urgent need to find an effective and safe preventive intervention. The race to find the ideal vaccine against this new coronavirus has required optimizing research times on this topic. Currently, more than 200 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates are in development, 177 in preclinical evaluation, 63 in clinical evaluation and 16 of them in phase 3 of clinical trials. In our country, 3 SARS-CoV-2 vaccines are already authorized for administration, which have demonstrated safety and efficacy in clinical trials. (AU)