Pandemics and Epidemics: The Spanish Flu/Influenza (Year 1918)

(Intro) "Back in 1918, when the deadly Spanish influenza hit New York, the city had more than a few disadvantages, compared with the current situation. Overcrowding was rampant, the course of the disease unclear. “The malady is being fought principally with sunshine and fresh air,” said one article in The New York Times soon after it reported the illness struck in late summer."

"The “Spanish flu” pandemic of 1918-19 — the subject of a new, ongoing exhibit at the Mütter, a medical history museum — is often overshadowed by World War I, but it killed tens of millions of people worldwide. With nothing to offer the sick but palliative care, influenza was as frightening as the COVID-19 coronavirus is today."

(Abstract partial) "In the spring of 1918, the "War to End All Wars", which would ultimately claim more than 37 million lives, had entered into its final year and would change the global political and economic landscape forever. At the same time, a new global threat was emerging and would become one of the most devastating global health crises in recorded history."

(Intro) "The second wave of influenza pandemic of 1918 represents a period in which the Spanish Flu showed its full deadly potential. It is usually said that this wave struck in autumn 1918, although the disease had spread even before this time."

(Intro partial) "The origin site for the 1918 influenza pandemic which killed more than 50 million people worldwide has been hotly debated. While the mid-western United States, France, and China have all been identified as potential candidates by medical researchers, the military context for the pandemic has been all but ignored. Conversely, military historians have paid little attention to a deadly disease which underlines the reciprocal relationship between battlefield and home front. This paper re-examines the debate about the origins and diffusion of the 1918 flu within the context of global war, bridging gaps between social, medical, and military history in the process."

"The Spanish flu killed more than 50 million people. These lessons could help avoid a repeat with coronavirus"

"The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, the deadliest in history, infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide—about one-third of the planet’s population—and killed an estimated 20 million to 50 million victims, including some 675,000 Americans. The 1918 flu was first observed in Europe, the United States and parts of Asia before swiftly spreading around the world. At the time, there were no effective drugs or vaccines to treat this killer flu strain. Citizens were ordered to wear masks, schools, theaters and businesses were shuttered and bodies piled up in makeshift morgues before the virus ended its deadly global march."

(Free account sign up required to read NatGeo articles) "Philadelphia detected its first case of a deadly, fast-spreading strain of influenza on September 17, 1918. The next day, in an attempt to halt the virus’ spread, city officials launched a campaign against coughing, spitting, and sneezing in public. Yet 10 days later—despite the prospect of an epidemic at its doorstep—the city hosted a parade that 200,000 people attended."

"Almost exactly 100 years ago, one-third of the world's population found itself infected in a deadly viral pandemic. It was the Spanish flu. Its death toll is unknown but is generally considered to be more than 50 million."

Timelines, history, documents, infographics, and photos of the 1918 Flu Pandemic.

Interactive quiz to learn about the Influenza Pandemic.

Timelines, infographics, image gallery, and history of the Influenza of 1918-1919.