Were heroin addicts used to help Spanish flu patients?

Upvote:2

I find this at least slightly plausible for a couple of reasons. One is that current research shows that while opioid use is generally understood to be suppressive to the immune system, it can have surprisingly complex effects, including immunostimulatory under certain circumstances. The other reason is that "the stronger the person's immune system, the more lethal the experience with the flu tended to be." (I'm quoting from a footnote here, which cites Barry's The Great Influenza, p.247) Young men in their 20s died very disproportiantely and it is thought to have to do with an overactive immune response.

That said, I can't find any reference directly relevant to the question, and we are talking about a work of fiction after all, so I would still consider this an open question.

Brian Z 18314

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