How the Spanish Flu Killed More People than World War One

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Each year we are flooded with large ad campaigns encouraging us to get our flu shots. Most of us probably wonder why. The flu doesn’t seem that bad, right? But then, every few years, a deadly bout of swine flu, or bird flu spreads through society and we understand a bit better. But, in 1918 the flu demonstrated just how bad it could be. We had an outbreak of the disease like no other. The Spanish flu would go on to kill more people than the the first world war, in just a matter of months. This is the story of the pandemic that touched every corner of the globe.

Sometimes, events of the past meet with interesting scientific elements. This series showcases when these two meet. Watch it here

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Duncan, Kirsty (2003). Hunting the 1918 fluone scientist's search for a killer virus

The Last PlagueSpanish Influenza and the Politics of Public Health in Canada

Johnson, Niall (2006). Britain and the 191819 Influenza PandemicA Dark Epilogue

Kolata, Gina (1999). FluThe Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It

Step Back is a history channel releasing videos biweekly that endeavors to go past the names, dates, and battles you might find elsewhere. It invites you to take a step back, consider the past and how it connects to today. We search for the quirky, unconventional, and just plain weird parts of our collective story.

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Photo Credits:

Steven Perez

Cybercobra

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Patrick J. Lynch

Cancer Research UK / Wikimedia Commons

NIMR London

DrRandomFactor

seier+seier

NordNordWest

Chermundy

Vincent van Zeijst

Mooncure 1970

Borodun

Jeremy Noble

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