3 ms·

Uhhh back then, people didn't travel around the world for fun and buisness in masses and within a few hours...

• nradov 6y ago
  That's irrelevant over a timespan of months to years. People did travel and the virus spread all over the world in 1889. Due to the way exponential growth works, all it takes is one index case in a region and it takes off from there.
  • jjeaff 6y ago
    That's assuming people live close together and don't make a quarterly or yearly trek into town for supplies. A much larger portion of the world's population lived in rural areas back then. The virus only has a 14 day or so window to infect people. If people only come into contact once a month on average, that will seriously inhibit the virus.
    • nradov 6y ago
      Still irrelevant. Lower population densities and slower travel only slightly retard the spread of a pandemic. It reached almost all population centers in less than a year. Even in 1889 people could cross the Atlantic Ocean in about 6 days. Wealthier countries had railroad service between all major cities. Most rural US residents would typically go into town or church at least once a week.
      • Bombthecat 6y ago
        Then it should be over in march, then it's one year. I have big big doubts about that...
        • nradov 6y ago
          I never claimed it would be "over" in a year, and there is no reason to expect that.