Impact Of The Spanish Flu Pandemic Of 1918

The Liberty Loan parade in Philadelphia was in full swing on the day of September 28th, 1918, with marching bands blaring loud music, brightly-colored floats following the bands, and complete with biplanes soaring overhead. The purpose of the parade was to help the government and the Allied troops during World War 2, but the real effect was much worse. Unbeknownst to the public, the large crowd of people watching the parade was one of the reasons that the Spanish flu spread like wildfire in Philadelphia and eventually America, with thousands of people getting infected from the celebration. The influenza of 1918 was one of the most devastating pandemics in human history, and it’s relevant to know how it spread, the full impacts of the flu, and

(Spinney) The flu also spread during World War 1, with 40% of the navy and 36% of the army coming down with the disease. (“Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918”) It isn’t clear which country exactly it came from though, so “the Spanish flu” is wrongfully named. When the Spanish flu came to Spain, the people there thought it came from another country, and they were right. The influenza had been in America for two months, and in France for at least a few weeks. Even though the disease would eventually be called the Spanish flu, it actually spread across the world under different names.

Nobody was sure exactly how to stop the spread of the flu (not even doctors), but governments tried to contain the spread through rules that citizens were required to follow. To help prevent the flu, government officials put into place measures such as quarantines, a mask mandate, and recommendations for good hygiene practices. Public places like libraries, schools, and theaters were shut down, and the government also advised everybody to stay inside and have limited contact with other people. At the time, the government had more control over citizens, so some practices that helped contain the spread of the flu were required, but others were only recommended. Additional measures were also applied across the world, such as the banning of certain events.