Most people who get the flu recover, but in 1918, a previously unknown strain of the influenza virus caused a global pandemic.
Worldwide, at least 50 million people died. Even in relatively isolated New Zealand, the death toll was shocking. No event had ever killed so many of us in such a short time.
Deadly Speed
The 1918 flu travelled with deadly speed. This was made worse by something else that was happening at the same time: the First World War. Soldiers had been brought together from all over the world, and they often lived in crowded, unsanitary conditions. Many also had weak immune systems, compromised by the stress of war. These two things, along with the constant movement of troops and supplies, allowed the killer virus to thrive.
No comments:
Post a Comment