[Petrochemicals (OP)]

Sir Mark Walport has just stipulated that the situation concerning Corona would have been far worse if this where 1918. He stated we have better drugs and testing. Is this scientifically correct ?

[alancalverd]

We have no better treatment for most viral diseases. Testing on its own is a bit pointless: you don't fatten a pig by weighing it, and you don't prevent the spread of disease by counting how many people have got it.

Had COVID turned up in 1667, it would not have spread because the UK had just recovered from bubonic plague and realised the importance and effectiveness of early, complete quarantine imposed by firm police action.

The 1918 government was a Tory-led coalition with most MPs being bankers or businessmen, so the initial emphasis would have been, as now, to get people back to work and spending money regardless of the cost to life.

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/The-Spanish-Flu-pandemic-of-1918 is illuminating.

[Bored chemist]

We have marginally better drugs- notably cortisone.
But the thing that would really have made the difference is that we didn't have vast numbers of people flying round the world in under a day.
Covid in China in 1919 would probably not have reached the UK.

[evan_au]

If Corona would have occurred in 1918 would the situation be worse?

The case fatality rate of COVID-19 is around 1-3%, affecting mostly the elderly.
- For the 1918 flu pandemic, fatality rate was around 30%, which affected the young, the elderly and (surprisingly), also healthy people in their 20s. 
- So Corona in 1918 would not have been worse than the 1918 flu pandemic.

we didn't have vast numbers of people flying round the world in under a day.

But in WW1, there were vast armies of soldiers living in cramped conditions, while moving around the world, at a somewhat slower pace.
...and they were rushed into battle instead of sitting in isolated quarantine for 14 days.
- One of the theories is that the Spanish flu was brought to Europe by US soldiers.

Covid in China in 1919 would probably not have reached the UK.

Another theory is that the Spanish flu was brought to Europe by Chinese workers brought in to help the war effort.
- The real origin is still a matter of debate!

[Bored chemist]

If it takes a month for your ship to get here  from China then, by the time it arrives everyone  is immune or dead.
Not quite the same if you are flying.

[Bored chemist]

sitting in isolated quarantine for 14 days.

It's not clear that we are doing that today and, even if we are now, it took so long that it was too late.