LibGuides: Emergency Responders and Pandemics : 1918 Flu

What was the 1918 Flu Pandemic?

Prior to COVID-19, the 1918 influenza pandemic (commonly referred to as the Spanish Flu) was the most severe pandemic in recent history. A strain of the H1N1 virus, this virus took the lives of over 50 million people worldwide. A unique aspect of this pandemic is its high mortality rates for healthy people aged 20-40 years old.

Read more about this pandemic on the CDC website.

The 1918 Flu Pandemic Information

The Deadliest Flu: The Complete Story of the Discovery and Reconstruction of the 1918 Pandemic Virus
A CDC article providing an in-depth analysis of the 1918 pandemic.
1918 Influenza: the Mother of All Pandemics
A 2006 publication providing information on how the origins of the 1918 pandemic and its effects on young adults.

The Public Health Response
Details of public health responses to the 1918 flu pandemic worldwide, from the Virology Department at Stanford.
The American Red Cross and Local Response to the 1918 Influenza Pandemic: A Four-City Case Study
A publication detailing the emergency response to the 1918 pandemic.
How U.S. Cities Tried to Halt the Spread of the 1918 Spanish Flu
An article detailing how U.S. city officials responded to the 1918 pandemic played a critical role in how many residents lived and died.

Photos of the 1918 Flu Pandemic
A 2018 article from the Atlantic highlighting photos from the 1918 pandemic.
Selected Records from the National Archives
Records of the 1918 Pandemic from the National Archives including, photos, telegrams, and reports.