19. Spanish Flu, 1918-1920
The Spanish Flu pandemic coincided with the latter days of World War I and the early days of the peace which followed. Estimates of up to 100 million deaths attributable to the pandemic are considered by some to be low. At least 500 million contracted the disease, more than a quarter of the population of the globe. During the first year of the pandemic, the average life expectancy in the United States reduced by more than a decade. Wartime censorship prevented the press from describing the spread of the flu and its virulent nature in 1918. In neutral Spain, censorship did not apply, and the wide reporting of the disease there led to its identification as Spanish Flu. In truth, the disease was likely born in France, its epicenter the troop staging camps at Etaples.
The virus spread quickly among the troops, in part due to the crowded conditions in the camps and trenches across Europe. Infected troops moving about the continent hastened its spread. In the United States, troops in training contracted the disease, likely from contact with instructors from Europe, and as the troops moved to the seacoast for shipping to Europe, the disease spread with them. Over 30 million Americans contracted the flu, an estimated 650,000 died. By comparison, just under 117,000 Americans died in combat or later of their wounds during World War I. Just over 63,000 additional American troops died during the war, the overwhelming majority of them from Spanish Flu.
Also Read: 19 Sickening Events During the Spanish Flu of 1918.