The field of medical science can be defined as the science of dealing with the maintenance of health and the prevention and treatment of disease. In the fast paced world, scientists use their knowledge of modern medicine technology to innovate progressive curing drugs, followed by spontaneous outbursts of serious illnesses and afflictions. Despite the multitude adheres toward positivity that medical science is developed enough, the actual advancement appears to be rather steadfast, sometimes slow, compared toward the vast amount of diseases and uncertainty. Most medicines dealt with big diseases function only to alleviate pain, instead of curing it, which is not enough. The Black death in Europe, SARS in China 2003, H1N1 in North America in 2009, and the recent covid-19 pandemic are all major diseases that once existed as terrible epidemics. Even though scientists failed to find an actual treatment, through variations of viruses, these illnesses were relieved and some went into permanent end. Nowadays, medical science is still not advanced enough to relieve both physical disease and give emotional comfort to patients due to the results of the four diseases listed.
After an illness’ outburst, global scientists attempt to figure out the cause of the diseases, but usually, they consider predictions leading to uncertainty, instead of the truth, which no one knows. According to theNational Center of Biotechnology, the black plague, an infectious fever caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, was likely transmitted from rodents to humans by the bite of infected fleas. On the other hand, modern doctors consider H1N1 to be a flu strain that can occur in people and spread alongside seasonal flu viruses. The outbreak of SARs, which stands for severe acute respiratory syndrome, is thought to be caused by coronavirus infection or viruses. Similarly, the current covid-19, is also thought to be caused by a series of viruses, but together with the SARs, scientists fail to determine the actual appearance of the viruses. Some scientists in China came with the idea of a plague, where the primary group of patients were infected by diseases from rats. The more hypothesis and conclusions scientists come up with, it only aggravates the anxiety of the commonage’s, because it leaves them no exact answer of causes. Without mastering the cause, every following step like manufacturing medicinal materials would be more complicated and likely to go wrong.
Severe symptoms that may lead to fatality appear to be inevitable when dealing with these tremendous worldwide diseases. According to the World Health Organization, fever, headache, swollen, painful lymph nodes (called buboes) are all considered to be prodromes of the European black death. Because of the inexperience of medical science, it led to the death of about 30% to 50% of the European population; approximately 100 million people in the world died due to 60% death rate. In the Healthline Team, therapists claim that fever ranging from 38 to 42 degrees celsius, headaches, sore throat, shortness of breath, and aching muscles are symptoms of H1N1 infection. The researchers estimate that the pandemic virus caused 201,200 respiratory deaths and another 83,300 deaths from cardiovascular disease associated with H1N1 infections.(CDC). SARs and Covid-19 share the same exact symptoms, since they are both respiratory illnesses: fever, dry coughs, fatigue, and shortness of breath. According to data from the Ministry of Health, SARs had a fatality rate of 11%, with a global cumulative total of 8422 cases with 916 deaths, predominantly females. Contrasting with SARs and all the other pandemics, covid 19 leads in the death rate, due to its rapid viral transmission. By 2024, the world has 703,662,735 cases and 6,985,940 deaths. Covid 19 is still spreading, and if it continues its virus variation, it may become a permanent epidemic, just like influenza B virus, which occurs mainly during winter time.
For all of the four intense pandemics, there’s no optimal therapeutics being administered, even now, scientists are still in their struggle of investigating a confined effective treatment. Previous and modern research only gives brief suggestions or theories about medicines, instead of being sure of its validity. One theory for the disappearance of the black death is that a species of brown rat that was not as vulnerable to the plague overwhelmed the older black rats that had infested Europe. Because it's a random hypothesis, modern scientists won’t absorb any knowledge, therefore this slows down the advancement of medical treatments. Multiple decades elapsed with medical improvements, where American physicians discovered a treatment for the H1N1 outburst, which was antiviral drugs. Regardless of scientists finding “effective treatments”, they only used the same treatment for seasonal flu against the H1N1, which is a swine flu. It was mentioned in articles that the majority survived just by hydration, personal immune system, and personal hygiene improvement. According to the National Institute of Health, SARS infected patients were given broad-spectrum antibiotics, but in general, there is yet no specific treatment. Justifications for the shortness of the pandemic was simply strict quarantine in BeiJing, and the summer weather, wiping out viruses. Till now, there’s no effective treatment for covid 19. Just after the outburst in China, patients with stronger immune systems survive, while vulnerable sufferers, in spite of the aid of respirator, die. Mutations in viruses cause coronavirus to be less severe; when infected, just stay hydrated, take paracetamol or ibuprofen, and have abundant sleep would help relieve patients.
Through the results of the black death, H1N1, SARS, and Covid-19, medical science has indeed improved into another stage, but it's not enough. There’s truly a large advancement between the black plague to H1N1, but till the current Covid-19, there seems to be no specific treatment or knowledge of the cause. Although several versions of vaccines were developed, the longest only lasts for six months. People survived the covid-19 mainly through their own immunity, not because of advanced medical treatments. The disappearance of these illnesses were mainly viral mutations or environmental changes. Quoting from doctors in the Health Organization, “modern medicine has no theory of cure — and as a result it has no ability to practice curing most diseases”. Therapists all over the world have not yet found a cure towards covid, cancer, allergies, hydrophobia, as well as many other diseases. Slow advancement and uncertainty lead to uneasiness and panics from commoners. Let’s all hope the field of medical science would somewhat shine on its stage in the upcoming future!
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