The Spanish flu was an H1N1 virus related to the 2009 swine flu, but the 1918 pandemic was caused by a much more lethal form. One-fifth of the world's population became infected and 50 to 100 million people died, more than from any other illness, before or since. It became known as the Spanish flu because the first mass mortalities occurred in Spain.
Unpredictable
The Spanish flu came first in a mild phase in the spring of 1918 when infection resulted in a three-day illness and a quick recovery. The virus returned in the fall and the death rate soared. By the end of the pandemic in 1919, 28 percent of Americans got the flu and 675,000 people died.
Youthful Victims
Those hardest hit by the Spanish flu were between the ages of 20 and 40. This is an unusual pattern for influenza, which generally proves deadly only for the elderly the very young. Shortages of doctors and nurses resulted in widespread health department recruitment of students and volunteers. There were also shortages of gravediggers and morticians.
Rapid Death
People infected with Spanish flu became ill suddenly--in the street, on their way to work, visiting friends. Common flu symptoms of fever, body aches and sore throat quickly became suffocating as blood vessels leaked into the lungs. Death could come within hours or overnight. Many victims died from a severe form of bacterial pneumonia.
Health Care Change
During the Spanish flu epidemic, the Public Health Department restricted public gatherings and quarantined sick people and affected institutions.
Global Contagion
By the end of World War I, soldiers were spreading the Spanish flu, as were ships following trade routes. The virus made its way through Europe and North America to Asia, Africa, Brazil, the South Pacific and India.
References
- "Purple Death: The Mysterious Flu of 1918"; David Getz, Peter McCarty, 2000
- The 1918 Influenza Pandemic, Molly Billings, June, 1997
- 1918 Influenza: the Mother of all Pandemics, Taubenberger J., Morens D., "Journal of Emerging Infectious Diseases", Jan 2006
