Spanish Flu Pandemic In 1918

During 1918, the main focus of many countries around the globe was World War I. However, an event known as the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic, which ultimately claimed more lives than the whole war was occurring the same year. While World War I was nearing its end in nations worldwide, the Influenza virus was beginning its rampage. A giant factor that contributed to the pandemic was the war. It helped increase the vastness of the disease, its virulence, and the carelessness of people behind wartime decisions made things worse. As infected soldiers from all around the world made their way home, the virus’s spread became continental. Soldiers also were usually in close vicinity of one another in trenches and barracks and the disease mutated into something

In the United States when it made its way through military camps, people began to see how bad the virus really was. Pathologists and the Army medical officers warned against the shipping of soldiers and other wartime activities, but were ignored. Even though there were many warnings, it was decisions like these by Generals and Army officials to ship soldiers that made the situation much more dire. As World War I was a high priority, if citizens found out how deadly the flu was, it would harm their “morale” and patriotism, particularly in America. People in higher positions assured citizens that the flu was not dangerous. Those such as President Woodrow Wilson did had concern himself, but his policies did not allow citizens to know enough about the epidemic at the time. He believed the war effort was too important, as did many others. Public health officials eventually started to lie about the concern that the flu brought, so the war effort would continue. “Early in September, a Navy ship from Boston carried influenza to Philadelphia, where the disease erupted in the Navy Yard. The city’s public health director, Wilmer Krusen, declared that he would ‘confine the disease to its present limits, and in this we are sure to be successful. No fatalities have been recorded. No concern whatever is felt.’ The next day two soldiers died of influenza. Krusen stated they died of ‘old-fashioned influenza or grip,’ not Spanish flu” (John M. Barry 7). World War I was so significant, that not even the Spanish flu was to threaten the war effort. This is where the decision to cover up the truth cost others their lives. Citizens weren’t skeptical because they were assured that the epidemic was not something to worry about. As a result of the protection of the war effort, most cities had no preparation for the disease. Philadelphia had scheduled a parade in late September of 1918, and nobody was concerned of any