Influenza Epidemic »

1918 Flu Epidemic

The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 also known as Spanish flu killed more people than the Great War, known today as World War I (WWI), at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people. It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history. More people died of influenza in a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Known as "Spanish Flu" or "La Grippe" the influenza of 1918-1919 was a global disaster.

The Spanish Flu actually originated in Tibet in 1917. As the armies of various nations moved across the continents, the flu spread with them. Before long cases were showing up in Europe. When it hit France, it changed its character, becoming malignant as it was contracted by African soldiers who had been recruited into the French army.

After establishing a stronghold in France, the flu moved into Spain. Spain was a neutral player in the First World War. For that reason it had no need to censor the illness from its people in order to keep them focused on the war effort. The Spanish press, then, fully documented the illness, along with its terrible life taking effects on the human body.

The fever would affect a person in the following way:

• High fevers, shivers, coughs, muscular pain and sore throat
• Tiredness and dizzy spells
• Loss of strength to the point of not being able to eat or drink without assistance
• Difficulty in breathing
• Death

The Flu Epidemic spread quickly around the earth. In all, some 525 million people were infected by the virus, with about 21 million people dying. That was more than twice the number of those who had been killed during the Great War.

An unusual aspect of the Spanish flu was that, rather than attacking those with weak immunity system, it tended to target the young and healthy members of society. This was a complete reversal of the normal pattern with influenza, which normally attacked the old, the infirm and the young. But now it was those in the prime of life who were being targeted. These were the people who were responsible for the day-to-day organizational matters of people’s daily lives. With them felled by illness, it must have seemed that society was falling apart.

The Spanish Flu disappeared quickly after ruining lives of millions of people worldwide. It briefly reappeared in March 1919. This time, however, the world was better prepared and the virus could be quarantined.