The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 was a tragic event in the history of the United States. The illness struck the globe. The flu killed over 675,000 people. The Spanish flu, despite its name, originated in the state of Kansas. The flu itself originates from a bird and spreads rapidly with common flu-like symptoms. The first case of the flu was recorded at Fort Riley in 1918. During this period, sanitation was not commonly practiced. During the wartime, disease spread rapidly due to the crowded and unsanitary conditions of the bases. The virus commonly hits healthy individuals, which baffles healthcare workers. Throughout this paper, I will be assessing the causes and effects of the 1918 Flu Pandemic, such as the way it impacted individual health, …show more content…
The sickness spread like wildfire. The sickness, also referred to as the “Spanish flu” or “Purple Death” was incredibly infectious and affected millions. A scholarly article stated that “The Spanish flu virus caused one of the worst infectious disease pandemics ever recorded in modern history” (Woodward & Atkins). It is estimated that the flu infected about 500 million individuals. Additionally, it was most lethal to healthy adults in their early twenties. In the United States, the death rate for the Spanish Flu was several times higher for men ages 25 to 29 years than it was for men in their seventies. Many healthy soldiers were affected by the flu virus. The virus spread quickly throughout the camps due to the fact they were so concentrated. The virus spread rapidly throughout the world, jumping from country to country. In addition to the living conditions, social conditions likely played an influential role in how quickly the disease spread. The flu struck while many soldiers were moving around the world, thus carrying the disease with them. At the time, all the men traveling were confined to small spaces such as hospitals and hospitals, allowing the virus to spiral out of