The Virus: 100 Years Ago
Created | Updated Mar 29, 2020
The Virus: 100 Years Ago
In 1918-1919, there was a pandemic. The disease, called the Spanish influenza, was a respiratory ailment caused by a virus. The problems? Nobody knew what a virus was (they couldn't even see one until 1940, when the electron microscope came along). They didn't have antibiotics to deal with the secondary infections, like pneumonia. They didn't have a clue what caused the disease, which was first reported in Spain. Some people thought it was the influence of an odd planetary alignment, hence influenza.
All that ignorance made it harder to deal with. 50-100 million people died. Here are some photos from the Library of Congress showing how emergency services dealt with the global tragedy then.
Remember to wash your hands. This time, at least we know what a virus looks like.