Nursing
During the Spanish
INFLUENZA
PANDEMIC
—
of 1918
—
EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally published in April 2017.
With COVID-19 exploding across the globe, we wanted to share the story of
an eerily similar, fast-moving and deadly pandemic from a century ago.
ONE OF THE DEADLIEST EPIDEMICS in recorded history was a
disease far less notorious than the "Black Death" (bubonic plague) that
swept Europe during the Middle Ages — and occurred just a century ago.
✜ The devastating influenza pandemic of 1918–1919 was a pivotal
moment for nursing; its impact on our profession is still felt today. It began
in the spring of 1918. With World War I still raging, parts of the U.S. and
Europe fell victim to a fast-spreading, unusually severe form of influenza,
popularly called the "Spanish Flu." ✜ That epidemic lasted only about
a year, but ultimately claimed the lives of an estimated 50 million people
worldwide. In the United States, about 22 million people—more than
one in four Americans —were stricken. The final U.S. death toll is
estimated at 675,000. (With today's population, the equivalent would be
2.1 million Americans dying from the flu in one year!)
➜
By Elizabeth Hanink RN, BSN, PHN
