The Spanish Flu pandemic that shook the world 100 years ago

We've all been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic recently, haven't we? But did you know that over 100 years ago, in 1918 to be exact, there was a similar pandemic that shook the world? It was the "Spanish Flu ." It infected about a third of the world's population and killed millions of people. So today, let's talk about what the Spanish Flu was, why it was so bad, and what lessons we can learn from it.

What exactly is the Spanish Flu?

Simply put, the Spanish flu of 1918 was a global pandemic caused by a strain of the influenza virus. It began in 1918 and had three main waves of infection - in the spring, fall, and winter. The second wave, which occurred in the fall, was the deadliest . Some experts believe that a fourth wave may have occurred in the 1920s.

What is surprising is that the majority of deaths from this pandemic occurred in young people between the ages of 20 and 40, who usually do not get seriously ill from flu. Although young children and the elderly are usually most at risk from flu, this outbreak also saw a large number of young, healthy people die. Scientists are still trying to figure out exactly why this happened.

How bad was this epidemic?

Just imagine, it is estimated that one-third of the world's population at that time, or about 500 million people, contracted this flu.

In terms of death toll, around 50 million people died worldwide between 1918 and 1919. Some experts say the number could be as high as 100 million. In the United States alone, around 675,000 people died. These figures alone give you an idea of ​​how horrific this situation is.

Why was the Spanish flu so deadly?

There is not one reason for this, but many. Let's look at the main reasons.

What were the symptoms of this fever?

The symptoms that people experienced in 1918 were somewhat similar to the common flu we get today. However, the symptoms were often much more severe.

• Sudden, sometimes high fever.
• Dry cough .
• Headache and body aches .
• Difficulty breathing.
• Sore throat.
• Shivering and feeling cold.
• Cold.
• Food is tasteless .
• Extreme weakness.
• Extreme fatigue.
• Blue discoloration of the skin, lips, or fingernails. This is called cyanosis . It means there is not enough oxygen in the blood.
• Pulmonary edema .
• Bleeding inside the body.

Why is it called the 'Spanish Flu'? Did it really start in Spain?

This is a misconception that many people have. The flu was called the "Spanish flu" not because it started in Spain. In fact, it is believed that the first cases were reported from an American military base.

So why did this name come about? The reason for this is World War I. Countries like America, Britain, and France, which were involved in the war, did not give information to the media about the spread of this epidemic in their countries. They were afraid that it would lower the morale of the army and the people.

But Spain was not involved in the war at the time. So their country's media reported about this epidemic freely. The whole world first learned about this disease in detail from Spanish newspapers. So, people thought that this was a disease that started in Spain. That's why the name "Spanish flu" stuck.

What is the difference between the Spanish flu and COVID-19?

Both pandemics were caused by two different viruses. The 1918 pandemic was caused by the influenza A (H1N1) virus. The COVID-19 pandemic, which began in late 2019, was caused by a new coronavirus. But in both cases, people's bodies had no immunity to fight these viruses.

Also, in both of these epidemics, public health authorities took similar measures to control the spread of the disease.

• School closures.
• Prohibition of public gatherings.
• Making it mandatory to wear protective gear such as face masks.
• Quarantine of patients and associates.

Just as we experienced these things during COVID-19, many countries around the world implemented them in 1918.

What lessons did we learn from the 1918 pandemic?

The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic taught us many valuable lessons. Because of those lessons, we were somewhat prepared to face the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, we have many things that we didn't have in 1918. Vaccines to prevent the flu, antiviral medications to treat the disease if it does occur, and intensive care units (ICUs) to treat the most severely ill.We have such facilities today.

This pandemic also reminds us that people of any age and health can become seriously ill during a pandemic. Therefore, by following the advice of public health officials, we can protect not only ourselves, but also our families, neighbors, and society as a whole.