The 1918 Flu Pandemic
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In 1918, as the First World War was nearing its close, another war was set to begin. This one, however, would not be decided with heavy artillery, or military might. The battlefield was undefined, the enemy unseen. This was a new kind of war, and the world was wholly unprepared for it.
The flu pandemic of 1918, was of the H1N1 avian variety. It’s believed to have infected around 500 million people worldwide—one-third of the global population. It killed an estimated 50 million of those infected. In the United States, 675,000 people died. While here in Canada, the virus claimed an estimated 50,000 lives. As high as these numbers are, it’s often argued that they could be much higher, as many have pointed out that record-keeping in a number of countries at that time was inconsistent at best.
The virus became infamously known as the Spanish Flu. A name that permeates to this day. Though researchers have failed to determine where exactly the virus originated, they all seem to agree that it did NOT come from Spain. The labelling of the virus as the Spanish Flu was the result of wartime media black-outs, which were still in effect for many parts of Europe and allied countries. Those that were involved in the war remained largely hush about the virus, fearing a drop in morale at a critical stage in the conflict. Spain on the other hand, who remained neutral throughout the war, was under no such black-out, and was hit particularly hard by the flu early on.
The earliest indicators of the virus were first discovered in France. However, around this time it was also being detected in American military personnel still stationed in the United States. This led some people to believe that the virus may have originated in the U.S., and was then being transported to Europe by way of France through the deployment of soldiers.
Here in Canada, the virus was first detected in soldiers returning from the war. It then, naturally, spread throughout the country, making its way into some of the most remote communities. In some cases, entire villages were wiped out. Areas in Quebec and Labrador were hit especially hard, and the effect on First Nations communities was nothing short of devastating.
The response in Canada was similar to that of the United States. With little to no coordination from federal governments, communities were largely left to their own devices. Some acted swiftly and faired better as a result. While others, who were hesitant to respond, suffered terribly.
With no vaccine research, or antibiotics available to treat secondary infections caused by the virus, medical professionals could only encourage personal hygiene, social distancing, and mask-wearing as a defence. When they further recommended that non-essential businesses and schools be closed, officials were met with a fair amount of resistance from the public. As a result, closures were carried out unevenly, leading to a disproportionate increase of infection rates in communities that failed to, or were slow to heed the warning.
Eight months now into our current predicament, and growing increasingly weary of the restrictions we’ve been forced to bear, there are a number of important lessons that I think we can learn from this time in history.
First and foremost, is that personal protective measures work. There’s a stark contrast between the communities that implemented these measures versus the ones that didn’t. Second, it’s imperative that we continue to heed the warnings and recommendations from our top health officials—even to the detriment of our economy. That’s not easy to say, especially when you consider that ‘economy’ is essentially a euphemism for people’s livelihoods. This should never be forgotten. However, businesses can be rebuilt—the economy, re-strengthened. But the lives lost to this virus are gone forever.
Finally, the most important lesson, and one that I think we should all be encouraged by, is simply that this will end. By 1921 the worst of the pandemic was over. Though it still lingered in some places until the mid- 1920’s, it was with far less voracity. It may take a couple more years, and there’ll surely be more burdens to bear in the meantime. But we should take some comfort in the fact, that ultimately, this will pass.
If you would like to learn more about the many parallels between Covid-19 and the 1918 flu pandemic, please visit,
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-commemoration/pandemic-timeline-1918.htm
https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/1918-flu-pandemic
https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/1918-spanish-flu-in-canada
Kris Brabant is a professional writing student at Algonquin College. He is a history junky, who is fascinated by all things strange, creepy and generally unsettling.
