Pandemics by the numbers

CTV.ca News

Every year, influenza spreads around the world in seasonal epidemics, causing respiratory infections in five to 15 per cent of the population. Those who die of the flu tend to be in high-risk groups such as the elderly, chronically ill.

These epidemics are thought to result in between three and five million cases of severe illness around the world and between 250,000 and 500,000 deaths.

In contrast, flu pandemics, which come from a completely new strain of virus, can cause illness in anyone, including healthy younger persons.

1918 – Spanish Flu

Approximately 20 to 40 per cent of the worldwide population became ill with Spanish Influenza. More than 20 million, and perhaps as many as 40 million people died.

Across Canada, as many as 50,000 died.

1957-58 – Asian Flu

Unlike the virus that caused the 1918 pandemic, the 1957 Asian Flu virus was mild and quickly identified, and a vaccine was available in limited supply by August 1957.

But worldwide, it still managed to infect 10 to 35 per cent of the population and kill almost 1 million people.

1968-69 – Hong Kong flu

The Hong Kong flu was even milder than the Asian flu and claimed 700,000 lives worldwide.

The next one

Canada’s Public Health Agency estimates that between 11,000 and 58,000 deaths may occur in Canada as a result of a new influenza virus, depending on its severity of the pandemic it causes.

Based on the assumption that the virus will infect between 15 and 35 per cent of the population, 4.5 million to 10.5 million Canadians would become ill.

Worldwide, the World Health Organization expects the next pandemic could kill at least two million people.