The Spanish Flu Outbreak of 1918-- Part 1: Why It Was Called the Spanish Flu

From the Dec. 31, 2020, Rock Valley Publishing  "Bizarre Belvidere" by Mindy Long.

Of even more interest in these days of our own virus.  Comparisons can definitely be made between the two, some 100 years apart.

The Spanish Flu of 1918 and several years afterwards, was an H1N1 virus that primarily affected children younger than 5 and younger adults ages 20-40 and older adults over 65.  The CDC estimates that one third of the world's population became infected and more than 50 million people worldwide died of it.

The Spanish Flu did not actually originate in Spain, but that country was one of the few world countries not affected by the World War I news blackout so cases there became front page news, especially after Spain's Kong Alfonso XIII died from it.  The flu became known as the Spanish Flu then.

The virus then was spread through the air in mucous droplets from coughing, sneezing, talking loudly, laughing and spitting, much like today's coronavirus.

--Cooter