9. Public misinformation and rumor was rampant
As the first wave of Spanish flu swept through the United States medical professionals considered it no worse than the usual seasonal flu which America dealt with every year. The second wave, which presented the unusual aspect of killing the young and healthy in their prime, changed America’s attitude. Rumors swept the country regarding the disease and its cause. One claimed that German U-Boats released clouds of gas carrying the virus off the American East Coast. The gas swept ashore, infecting cities, and was then carried inland by the railroads which carried American citizens and commerce.
Another rumor, which gained credence during the anti-German hysteria prevalent in America’s cities claimed the nation’s supply of aspirin was tainted. Aspirin was invented by Bayer, a German company, which held a monopoly on the drug until the patents expired in 1917. According to the rumor, the drugs manufactured and sold in America were deliberately poisoned by the company. Aspirin did contribute to the loss of life, due to it being taken at toxic levels at the recommendation of medical professionals. Still another rumor had the Germans using poison gas on the Western Front to distribute the virus among Allied troops.