Nobody took it seriously and yet it killed about 50 to 100 million people worldwide. With that many deaths, WWI doesn’t look so bad anymore. There were serious symptoms that came along with the flu. With this happening one would think that others would take precautions; but that was the problem, most ignored the flu and put themselves in terrible danger.

In 1918, the flu had many names. Most people called it the Spanish flu, however the Spanish called it the “French Flu”, and the Germans called it “Blitzkatarrh”. Even though the names the flu had been called pointed toward Europe, the flu actually came from Haskell County, Kansas and was started from pigs. This horrible flu spread like wildfire and lasted nine months. In the time of the epidemic Russia, India, and China had been struck simultaneously. Citizens in cities were more likely to catch the disease because there are more people around close together.

This flu acted in two different ways.One was that people would have three days of a mild fever and then they would be fine. The second kind of symptoms were of high fevers, reddish liquid filling the lungs, blue skin and black feet. Many eventually would die. People still ignored the flu and took more precautions and ended up sick. Finally, so many got sick in San Diego that all public places were closed, hospitals were quarantined, and ads for the flu were put up. In some places it became illegal to sneeze or cough in public without covering your face. The efforts were not enough so gauze masks were put in action.

The flu finally ended after nine months on December 9th. Between then and October 8th 3337 people had been infected and 202 died. Worldwide the flu infected 1/3 of its population. In total, 2% of the world died. The epidemic settled because the virus changed and became weaker from its new protein. It changed also because it preyed on the elderly and could no longer kill people with stronger immune systems.

Overall, the flu was one of the worst things that happened in the 20th century. It made WWI look like a minor casualty.