The 1919–21 influenza pandemic in Greenland
In Alaska, the 1918–20 influenza pandemic was devastating, with mortality rates up to 90% of the population, while in other arctic regions in northern Sweden and Norway mortality was considerably lower. We investigated the timing and age-patterns in excess mortality in Greenland during the period 19...
Published in: | International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
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Online Access: | https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3150123 https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2325711 |
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fthsosloakersoda:oai:oda.oslomet.no:11250/3150123 2024-09-30T14:31:15+00:00 The 1919–21 influenza pandemic in Greenland Mølbak Ingholt, Mathias Simonsen, Lone Mamelund, Svenn-Erik Noahsen, Paneeraq Van Wijhe, Maarten 2024-02-28T10:57:57Z application/pdf https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3150123 https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2325711 eng eng https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2325711 Senter for grunnforskning: Social Science Meets Biology urn:issn:1239-9736 https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3150123 cristin:2250539 Navngivelse-Ikkekommersiell 4.0 Internasjonal http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/deed.no International Journal of Circumpolar Health 83 1 Peer reviewed Journal article 2024 fthsosloakersoda https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2325711 2024-09-10T23:44:14Z In Alaska, the 1918–20 influenza pandemic was devastating, with mortality rates up to 90% of the population, while in other arctic regions in northern Sweden and Norway mortality was considerably lower. We investigated the timing and age-patterns in excess mortality in Greenland during the period 1918–21 and compare these to other epidemics and the 1889–92 pandemic. We accessed the Greenlandic National Archives and transcribed all deaths from 1880 to 1921 by age, geography, and cause of death. We estimated monthly excess mortality and studied the spatial-temporal patterns of the pandemics and compared them to other mortality crises in the 40-year period. The 1918–21 influenza pandemic arrived in Greenland in the summer of 1919, one year delayed due to ship traffic interruptions during the winter months. We found that 5.2% of the Greenland population died of the pandemic with substantial variability between counties (range, 0.1% to 11%). We did not see the typical pandemic age-pattern of high young-adult mortality, possibly due to high baseline mortality in this age-group or remoteness. However, despite substantial mortality, the mortality impact was not standing out relative to other mortality crises, or of similar devastation reported in Alaskan populations. publishedVersion Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Circumpolar Health Greenland greenlandic International Journal of Circumpolar Health Northern Sweden Alaska OsloMet (Oslo Metropolitan University): ODA (Open Digital Archive) Arctic Greenland Norway International Journal of Circumpolar Health 83 1 |
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Open Polar |
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OsloMet (Oslo Metropolitan University): ODA (Open Digital Archive) |
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fthsosloakersoda |
language |
English |
description |
In Alaska, the 1918–20 influenza pandemic was devastating, with mortality rates up to 90% of the population, while in other arctic regions in northern Sweden and Norway mortality was considerably lower. We investigated the timing and age-patterns in excess mortality in Greenland during the period 1918–21 and compare these to other epidemics and the 1889–92 pandemic. We accessed the Greenlandic National Archives and transcribed all deaths from 1880 to 1921 by age, geography, and cause of death. We estimated monthly excess mortality and studied the spatial-temporal patterns of the pandemics and compared them to other mortality crises in the 40-year period. The 1918–21 influenza pandemic arrived in Greenland in the summer of 1919, one year delayed due to ship traffic interruptions during the winter months. We found that 5.2% of the Greenland population died of the pandemic with substantial variability between counties (range, 0.1% to 11%). We did not see the typical pandemic age-pattern of high young-adult mortality, possibly due to high baseline mortality in this age-group or remoteness. However, despite substantial mortality, the mortality impact was not standing out relative to other mortality crises, or of similar devastation reported in Alaskan populations. publishedVersion |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Mølbak Ingholt, Mathias Simonsen, Lone Mamelund, Svenn-Erik Noahsen, Paneeraq Van Wijhe, Maarten |
spellingShingle |
Mølbak Ingholt, Mathias Simonsen, Lone Mamelund, Svenn-Erik Noahsen, Paneeraq Van Wijhe, Maarten The 1919–21 influenza pandemic in Greenland |
author_facet |
Mølbak Ingholt, Mathias Simonsen, Lone Mamelund, Svenn-Erik Noahsen, Paneeraq Van Wijhe, Maarten |
author_sort |
Mølbak Ingholt, Mathias |
title |
The 1919–21 influenza pandemic in Greenland |
title_short |
The 1919–21 influenza pandemic in Greenland |
title_full |
The 1919–21 influenza pandemic in Greenland |
title_fullStr |
The 1919–21 influenza pandemic in Greenland |
title_full_unstemmed |
The 1919–21 influenza pandemic in Greenland |
title_sort |
1919–21 influenza pandemic in greenland |
publishDate |
2024 |
url |
https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3150123 https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2325711 |
geographic |
Arctic Greenland Norway |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Greenland Norway |
genre |
Arctic Circumpolar Health Greenland greenlandic International Journal of Circumpolar Health Northern Sweden Alaska |
genre_facet |
Arctic Circumpolar Health Greenland greenlandic International Journal of Circumpolar Health Northern Sweden Alaska |
op_source |
International Journal of Circumpolar Health 83 1 |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2325711 Senter for grunnforskning: Social Science Meets Biology urn:issn:1239-9736 https://hdl.handle.net/11250/3150123 cristin:2250539 |
op_rights |
Navngivelse-Ikkekommersiell 4.0 Internasjonal http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/deed.no |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2325711 |
container_title |
International Journal of Circumpolar Health |
container_volume |
83 |
container_issue |
1 |
_version_ |
1811635871070289920 |