How do you think society would cope psychologically with an outbreak of something like the 1918 flu?

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Just that really, we're not as a society used to people becoming seriously ill or dying on large numbers and I wonder how people would react if something like the 1918 flu happened

Hugh Would you rather ill adults and chiidren with health issues wernt given medicines that they need.

And as for your comment about hardships Do you really think shoving kids up chimneys and a return to Downton days would be a cure for the flu?

Swine flu was a nasty flu, I know someone whose husband was hospitalised with it and from what she says it was v serious. However I don't think it counts as an epidemic, purely because of the numbers of people recorded as having it.

Considering how badly the Swine flu was dealt with - terribly

I had swine flu and I've never been so ill in my life. 40+ degree temperature for 13 days, I was weak and unwell for weeks. If I'd been remotely vulnerable I'd have been done for. Proper flu is not ever 'trivial'.

Frog- I haven't meant in any way to offend you and haven't suggested that all prescribed antibiotics are unnecessary or that I know better than gps, but antibiotic resistance IS related to the over use of antibiotics and the data shows that actually god are prescribing without cause

Detail here- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4240113/.

A snippet "Antibiotics are not recommended for patients with coughs, colds, and viral sore throats. However, in a recent survey of antibiotic prescribing in UK general practice, half of all patients consulting for these conditions were prescribed an antibiotic."

Sorry for the detail op

I think if people were sensible and didn't panic we would cope, but knowing how hysterical people get on mass media it would be a bloody nightmare.

It would be the well-poorly (the well managed asthmatics and the like) who need to get their prescription upped and condition monitored who would suffer most I think. Vulnerable to flu but not top of the list for truly being classed as vulnerable to matter

Fair enough whatareyoueating I do get defensive, my mil kept going on about my toddlers being on too many antibiotics when they all had serious chest issues and in one case chronic lung disease that needed repeated IV antibiotics for pneumonia. Without them he would not be here, but according to mil (and a poster above) it was all down to weak modern kids needing to pop pills! Never mind the fact that in 1918 none of my kids would have made it past babyhood - fewer pills needed for sure, kids just died instead.

People would go round blaming each other and fighting. By lunchtime it would supposedly all be the fault of large supermarkets, social media, political groups, the pharmaceutical industry, fizzy drinks etc.