Forum: Story Ideas

the influenza outbreak during WWII?

Wasn't that World War I?

Wasn't that World War I?

Yes and no. The Spanish Flu pandemic started in Jan 1918, WWI ended in Nov of 1918. However, the Spanish Flu pandemic ran until Dec 1920.

So technically, it started in the last year of WWI, but most of it's run was between the two world wars.

they could use the other names for it of Bubonic Plague or Black Death. More info here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Death

The 1918 flu epidemic was really bad because so many people had been in poor health due to the lack of proper care and feeding during WW1, thus their immunity was well down and they didn't have much in the way of body reserves to fight it.

The "Black Death" was called that, not because it affected African-Americans, but because it creased black (tipped) blisters all over the body (I'm saying, not having researched it and operating from my lousy memory).

I've never heard any black individuals complain about the name "Black Death". Instead, they're more upset when "black" inherently means "bad guy" (like Darth Vader wearing all black in the Star Wars series).

Ernest, according to recent thinking, the ONLY reason why the Black Death plague killed 1/3 to 2/3rds of Europe is because the population was in such BAD health to begin with. After examining the virus (dug out of old corpses), they now think it's the same as the current Bubonic plague, which is NOWHERE near as virulent.

"black" inherently means "bad guy" (like Darth Vader wearing all black in the Star Wars series).

Wow, I didn't know that batman was bad....

Ernest, according to recent thinking, the ONLY reason why the Black Death plague killed 1/3 to 2/3rds of Europe is because the population was in such BAD health to begin with. After examining the virus (dug out of old corpses), they now think it's the same as the current Bubonic plague, which is NOWHERE near as virulent.

Poor health, poor nutrition, poor hygiene, and extremely poor sanitary conditions in general as streets were often open sewers.

You certainly didn't want to drink the water unless it had some amount of alcohol content mixed in(which killed the nasties for you, but they didn't know that).

They had little to no concept of boiling water, or putting cloth into boiling water in order to sterilize it and make it safe for use. In many of those cases, the best approach would be education on better sanitary practices in general. Rather than bestowing them with something like penicillin and opening the door to antibiotic resistant bacteria before they know how to address it.

So, whilst an earlier arrival of Penicillin might have saved thousands of lives that were lost due to wound and venereal infections, it would have done diddly squat against the Influenza.

You are correct. The medical advance most responsible for reducing influenza deaths in general is intravenous fluids (IV) Which interestingly enough also dates to the time period between WW1 and WW2, 1932 to be precise.

around 90% of influenza deaths are the result of dehydration due to the combination of vomiting and diarrhea.

it would have done diddly squat against the Influenza.

--surely it would have had some effect: not directly against the virus, but rather by reducing the load on the immune system by clearing various bacterial infections.

--surely it would have had some effect: not directly against the virus, but rather by reducing the load on the immune system by clearing various bacterial infections.

Only in a small number of cases. It would help guard against secondary infections, but doesn't address the matter of dehydration or malnutrition(due to vomiting). So to help with that you're going to also need to develop the saline solution that is used for IVs.

Since Patton died after VE Day, his death is moot. However, having MacArthur suffer at least a disabling heart attackstroke would make a good turning point. Also, having Rommel not get mixed up in the last plot to kill Hitler would be another. On the last, having him get captured in North Africa would make D-Day that much easier.

It is a toss up on a lot of this. POW Rommel would be an interesting alt-History item, as I understand he seems to have been one of those people who wasn't actually a Nazi but fought for his country anyway. His being around for the post-war European Reconstruction period would likely have had long lasting consequences.

Likewise a captured Admiral Yammamoto(sp?) would be interesting for comparable reasons.

MacArthur is complicated, not a fan of him as a general, but as the commander in charge of the occupation of Japan in the post-war period, he was pretty amazing.

Keeping Patton alive in the post-war would likewise be likely to change a number of things as well(particularly if you run with the idea that he was assassinated). With him alive, Korea and Vietnam in particular probably would have been different kinds of wars. Yes, he was a Tank guy, but with the kind of rapport he held with his troops...

There is a story like that on SOL, the guy and a kid are in hospital and the kid wants to die while the guy wants to live and they end up swapping bodies. I'll try to remember the name, but I'm sure someone else (like Massive Reader) will name it.

There is one where the two are of roughly similar ages but one was a boy and the other a girl and swapped bodies and identities. I remember that the girl gets sent to a strict RC boarding school and gets assailed by things like monthlies.

Perhaps someone can come up with a title

If anyone knows of a story like this please let me know,

Second Chance by Number 7
Body Swap by Clansman

Thank you! I will check out Body Swap asap. Tried Second Chance a while back and didn't like it.

One do over idea I had, after reading many of them, was to have someone get the chance to go back, makes all these plans on how to make a gazillion dollars, but ends up as a poor black kid in a more racist past (i.e. he has no money to invest, no trader would ever make trades for him (and would likely keep his money) and he could only get a menial job). Thus he's have to sit back, and watch all the same mistakes get made, instead having to concentrate on building the best life he could. (It would probably work better if he was somewhat racist before, and/or he was sexist and comes back as a poor black girl.

A couple alternative options here: They end up in the Civil War era as that black child. So they get some exposure to slavery before it ends, but then at least have a chance to get clear of it. (Although escape via the Underground Railroad is an option too)

Another option is parking them in the "Jim Crow" era South and working their way free from that. Obviously sticking around in the South in either case is a bad idea, but it gives them a large challenge from the start but not insurmountable ones. It also means their "road to easy street" is going to have plenty of potholes along the way because racism/sexism will factor in at various times(but not always).

Edit: In most cases, the biggest challenge for the freed slaves and their descendants was education. So as long as the MC already has that education, and the grit to make use of it(and possibly share (informally) with others).....

I've not seen a Girl/woman do-over. I read one or two where a Male returned to a female body. but i've haven seen a woman return to her younger sellf like the males have.

You may want to scan http://do-over.wikifoundry.com/

I too, would like to see such a story. Though I have never seen one with a female lead, there are a few with such characters, as others pointed out. I would like to add the Twice Lucky series by JoeJ. I am not always a fan of do overs, but this was a highly rated story, with at least three, that I recall, female characters such as you mention.