The influenza epidemic of 1918 was one of the worst diseases to sweep through the world known to this date. The influenza infected close to 500 million people around the world. It killed around 20 million to 50 million people that were infected. At that time it has been said that close to one-third of the world’s population was a victim to the disease. Once the influenza hit, people were shocked and unprepared. The first wave of the epidemic happened in the spring and was pretty average.
The epidemic killed off entire families while leaving numerous widows and orphans. Many people had to dig graves for their own loved ones. Businesses were forced to shut down for good because employees were too sick to work. People were hit so hard that they were forced to stay into their homes and not go anywhere. The New York health commissioner made an attempt to slow the spread of the flu, by stressing businesses to restructure the daily hours so they could reduce overcrowding in areas and the subway system.
So many businesses had to shut down because of the influenza. Small businesses such as garbage pickup and mail delivery were impeded due to sick workers. Certain needs like food and crops started to run low because there was not enough farmers to harvest the crops. Workers in almost every branch of work were depleting due to the epidemic. State and local health clinics closed for business, obstructing efforts to chronicle the spread of the 1918 flu and provide the public with answers about it.
The influenza epidemic of 1918 killed more people than WW1. More people died of the influenza in a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Known as the "Spanish Flu" or "La Grippe" the influenza of 1918-1919 was a global disaster. The war fostered influenza in crowded conditions of military camps in the United States and in the trenches of the western front in Europe. The influenza traveled from camp to camp through military officials. Influenza effected 30% of U.S. Army and Navy personnel.
The influenza crippled the power of the military at the time because so many people became sick. Production of military goods began decline because the lack of workers. The flu killed more soldiers and sailors than enemy weapons did. During the American Expeditionary Forces' campaign at Meuse-Argonne, the epidemic diverted urgently needed resources from combat support to transporting and caring for the sick and the dead.
The epidemic killed off entire families while leaving numerous widows and orphans. Many people had to dig graves for their own loved ones. Businesses were forced to shut down for good because employees were too sick to work. People were hit so hard that they were forced to stay into their homes and not go anywhere. The New York health commissioner made an attempt to slow the spread of the flu, by stressing businesses to restructure the daily hours so they could reduce overcrowding in areas and the subway system.
So many businesses had to shut down because of the influenza. Small businesses such as garbage pickup and mail delivery were impeded due to sick workers. Certain needs like food and crops started to run low because there was not enough farmers to harvest the crops. Workers in almost every branch of work were depleting due to the epidemic. State and local health clinics closed for business, obstructing efforts to chronicle the spread of the 1918 flu and provide the public with answers about it.
The influenza epidemic of 1918 killed more people than WW1. More people died of the influenza in a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Known as the "Spanish Flu" or "La Grippe" the influenza of 1918-1919 was a global disaster. The war fostered influenza in crowded conditions of military camps in the United States and in the trenches of the western front in Europe. The influenza traveled from camp to camp through military officials. Influenza effected 30% of U.S. Army and Navy personnel.
The influenza crippled the power of the military at the time because so many people became sick. Production of military goods began decline because the lack of workers. The flu killed more soldiers and sailors than enemy weapons did. During the American Expeditionary Forces' campaign at Meuse-Argonne, the epidemic diverted urgently needed resources from combat support to transporting and caring for the sick and the dead.
References
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862337/
https://virus.stanford.edu/uda/
http://www.history.com/topics/1918-flu-pandemic
https://virus.stanford.edu/uda/
http://www.history.com/topics/1918-flu-pandemic