The Influenza Pandemic of 1918

Newspaper making people aware of
death toll

            Many called it The Spanish Flu, La Grippe, or The Great Influenza, but others just called it a death sentence. Today it is known as the Influenza Pandemic of 1918, a deadly virus that struck all across the world effecting millions of people.  Some had little hope, others died within hours of their first symptoms.  This was more than just a virus.  It was a gateway sickness leading to pneumonia, which on top of the flu was almost impossible to fight. Old, young, sick, or healthy, this virus did not overlook anyone.  It attacked 1/5 of the world’s population and in only one month killed more than any other disease.  Killing more people than the Great War, this pandemic has been the most devastating and catastrophic event that has impacted our history.

Tents were set up as emergency hospitals because 

actual hospitals

 were over flowing and often one 

could not make it all the way to a hospital

             The influenza had tremendous effects on the United States, decreasing life expectancy by about 12 years at the time.  The virus first attacked the US in Kansas, at Fort Riley.  It affected many of our military men, which scared our nation.  After the second and third wave of the virus the United States knew they needed to begin taking steps to try and keep it from spreading.  They began putting people in quarantine as an act to try and contain influenza.  Major cities banned public gatherings such as school and town hall.  Churches began serving as hospitals because hospitals were over flowing. The worst time for the United States was October 1918 when 195,000 people died.  With all of the deaths more healthcare workers and gravediggers were much needed, which only meant other people would have to put a hold on their current job to try and help out the situation. 

Mail delivery men wore masks 

while delivering mail to try and protect 

themselves from the flu 

            The Influenza struck some cities harder than others and this was all because of how quickly these areas responded to the problem.  Places that required immediate containment cut death rates up to half compared to places that waited to respond to the situation. Because WWI had left communities with a shortage of doctors many communities asked for health care to send nurses, but the majority of them got sick on the way to that area because the disease was spreading across trade routes and shipping lines.

            Doctors debated creating a vaccine because vaccinating people before they are exposed to the virus can make a huge difference as to whether or not they are affected by it when exposed.  This was difficult because over time the virus would slightly change so the previous vaccines would be irrelevant to the virus that was soon to come to the area.  Even with todays technology it would take far too long to create a vaccine that could of helped with only the first wave of the pandemic.  The only step communities could take to try and prevent such a high death toll was to shut down public gatherings.  In most places, if more than twenty people were going to be in attendance the event was to be shut down.  Many cities cut back on the strict rules after the first wave and were caught off guard when the second wave hit them.  It was as if they were being attacked with no defense and some areas were even worse off after the second wave. 

            Not only did the virus spread quickly, but so did word of it.  Posters, cartoons, and newspapers were printed warning people of this horrible virus and the many dangers of it.  Most of these posters were printed in English despite the many immigrants that did not speak English.  People

guy got arrested for spitting because that’s 

how strict they were on trying to keep the virus contained

were doing everything they could to make the virus well known around the globe, but communication
was not that easy so often times people were completely out of the loop.  Because the war was going on soldiers, sailors, and anybody traveling was quickly spreading the flu.  Younger children who did not always understand the situation often sang a short song that went like this; “I had a little bird, its name was Enza, I opened the window, and in-flu-enza”  Newspaper articles were released showing how strict the government was acting.  Doctors and physicians did everything they could, but it was as if they were helpless.  Everything was just not enough for these sick people.

        

People often had to share bed because
of lack of resources.
(from book cited below*)

    The Influenza came as a shock to everyone.  It destroyed economies, governments, and especially families.  Although many would say this pandemic was tearing communities apart, many will argue that it was actually forcing them to progress and become closer.  People made sacrifices for others, for example giving up their job to help aid others affected by the virus.  Physicians did everything they could and worked with limited resources to try and prevent a virus that was much more complex than ever imagined. 

Works Cited

"The Influenza Epidemic of 1918." National Archives and Records Administration. National Archives and Records Administration, n.d. Web. 15 Feb. 2015.

This website was the first one I looked at and helped me get a better understanding of how big this epidemic was.  It helped me realize that this was not a small task, but killing more people than wars did, and being so widespread it was truly devastating. 

"The 1918 Influenza Pandemic." The 1918 Influenza Pandemic. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Feb. 2015.

This cite focused a lot on how influenza effected men in the military and how it was spreading along trade routes and shipping lines and into the trenches.  It focused on how abruptly it was spreading and helped me to understand the geography of the virus.

"Spanish Influenza in North America, 1918–1919." Open Collections Program: Contagion, Spanish Influenza in North America, 1918–191. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Feb. 2015.

This cite explained how hard the people tried to contain the virus and that it continued to spread.  This is important for me to know because it shows how powerful this virus is over not just the US but the entire world.

"Voices of the Pandemic." . : The Great Pandemic : : The United States in 1918-1919 : . N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

These blurbs from those who were being affected by the virus helped me to step into their shoes and better grasp what it was actually like. While reading them it was as if I could feel the panic in their voices.

"Influenza Epidemic." Influenza Epidemic. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

          This newspaper article was helpful because it showed the drastic measure communities took in trying to keep their people healthy but it just wasn’t working. Schools are closing, but the virus is still spreading!

Barry, John M. The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History. New York: Viking, 2004. Print.

I wish I could have read more of this book because it was so informative on what was happening and how people were reacting.  It helped me to better understand how individuals played roles in the lives of others and just how aggressive and brutal this virus was. *picture from here

Rapid Response Was Crucial to Containing the 1918 Flu Pandemic." NIH News. National Institute of Health, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.

This website informed me of everything communities were lacking when it came to trying to contain the virus.  It also focused on why a vaccine could not have helped these innocent people which was eye opening considering how far technology has advanced.

"Influenza Strikes." . : The Great Pandemic : : The United States in 1918-1919 : . N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2015.

This site focused a lot on how the virus spread and also how it spread by word and communication during this time.  This was helpful because of how different things were back then than they are now. This website made understanding the struggle much easier.

Brinkley, Alan. American History: A Survey. 12th ed. New York: Lyn Ubl, 2007. Print.
The textbook gave me basic general information on the flu which made me interested enough to pick it as my topic!