Presentation in Icelandic!
The Akureyri Disease was a severe illness that struck the residents of Akureyri and many others across the country during the winter of 1948–1949. The disease resurfaced six years later, in the winter of 1955–1956, in the Westfjords and in Þistilfjörður. It has never been conclusively determined what kind of illness this was, but all indications suggest that it was some form of viral infection.
It has since become apparent that there are striking similarities between the aftereffects of the Akureyri Disease and the long-term consequences of COVID-19 and ME (myalgic encephalomyelitis). This is clearly discussed in a book by Óskar Þór Halldórsson about the Akureyri Disease, published last year, which has attracted considerable attention. Simply put, it can be said that the Akureyri Disease was the ME illness of its time.
Dr. Friðbjörn Sigurðsson, a physician at the Akureyri Clinic—a service center for people with ME or long-term COVID symptoms—is very familiar with the symptoms of ME and with how widespread the condition is in Icelandic society as well as worldwide.
In their lecture, Óskar Þór and Friðbjörn will bring past and present into dialogue, exploring various connections between the Akureyri Disease and ME.
The lecture will take place at the Akureyri Museum at 5:00 p.m.
Admission is free.
Upcoming events:
• February 19 – A Mirror of the Nation: News Photography Over 50 Years and the Stories Behind the Images; Gunnar V. Andrésson and Sigmundur Ernir Rúnarsson.
• March 5 – Scent, Aroma, and Stench: Various Smells in Icelandic Sources from the 19th and 20th Centuries; Ragnhildur Björt Björnsdóttir, historian.
• March 12 – Going Against the Current: The Life of Sigríður Pálsdóttir (1809–1871) and Fragmentary Sources; Dr. Erla Hulda Halldórsdóttir.
• March 19 – Manuscript Decoration in Later Centuries and the Work of a Northern Icelandic Scribe-Artist; Kjartan Ísleifsson, historian.