The 'Spanish' Flu

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What is the 'Spanish' Flu?

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H1N1/Influenza A, a viral infection.

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Symptoms vary from mild headache, chills, sore throat, sneezing, and a cough. In extreme cases, it caused the skin to turn blue and fluid to fill the lungs, causing suffocation.

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What are the symptoms of the Spanish Flu?

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How deadly was the Spanish Flu pandemic?

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It was the 2nd deadliest pandemic in human history, with 25-100 million deaths from 1918-1920.

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What was the global context during the Spanish Flu pandemic?

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World War I was ongoing in 1918, with a deadlock along the trench lines of the French-German border. Russia had left the war due to revolution, and the US had entered, bringing supplies and soldiers to the Allies.

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What happened at Camp Funston in March 1918?

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A cook reported flu-like symptoms on March 4, 1918. Within days, over 500 soldiers showed symptoms. Military leaders ignored warnings and shipped asymptomatic soldiers to Europe.

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Why is it called the 'Spanish' Flu?

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The Allies censored news of the pandemic to maintain war support, while neutral Spain reported the disease, leading to the mislabeling as the 'Spanish Flu.'

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What was the impact of censorship on the Spanish Flu pandemic?

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The lack of timely information allowed the disease to spread globally, causing more deaths until enough people developed immunities by 1920.