What impact did the Spanish flu have on society?
Across the world, some 500 million people had been struck down by flu by the end of 1920, perhaps 100 million of them fatally. Many governments banned public gatherings or buried the victims in mass graves.
What effects did the Spanish flu have on the economy?
More recent studies released since COVID-19 have found evidence of large and statistically significant effects of the Spanish flu on economic activity. For example, Barro et al (2020) found that the Spanish flu reduced real GDP per capita by around 6 per cent in the typical country over the period 1918–21.
Did the Spanish flu affect the whole world?
The Spanish flu infected around 500 million people, about one-third of the world’s population. Estimates as to how many infected people died vary greatly, but the flu is regardless considered to be one of the deadliest pandemics in history. An early estimate from 1927 put global mortality at 21.6 million.
How many did the Spanish flu kill?
More than 50 million people died of the disease, with 675,000 in the U.S. There is some disagreement on that figure, with recent researchers suggesting it was about 17.4 million deaths, while others go as high as 100 million. Generally speaking, the fatality rate for the Spanish flu is calculated at about 2%.
What was the worst outbreak in history?
Major epidemics and pandemics by death toll
| Rank | Epidemics/pandemics | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Black Death | 1346–1353 |
| 2 | Spanish flu | 1918–1920 |
| 3 | Plague of Justinian | 541–549 |
| 4 | HIV/AIDS pandemic | 1981–present |
What virus caused the Black Plague?
Key facts. Plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, a zoonotic bacteria usually found in small mammals and their fleas. People infected with Y. pestis often develop symptoms after an incubation period of one to seven days.
How did they treat the black plague?
Some of the cures they tried included: Rubbing onions, herbs or a chopped up snake (if available) on the boils or cutting up a pigeon and rubbing it over an infected body. Drinking vinegar, eating crushed minerals, arsenic, mercury or even ten-year-old treacle!