This Day in History: 1918 Flu Pandemic Begins

Article

On this day, March 11, 92 years ago, a devastating public health crisis began in the U.S. The disease was called the "Spanish Influenza," and first hit soldiers at Fort Riley, Kansas, just back from fighting in Europe. The virus moved quickly and in October of 1918 195,000 Americans perished. In one day alone, 851 New Yorkers died. By 1920, nearly one-in-four Americans had suffered from this strain of the flu, killing a half-million of them. But even less dramatic forms of the disease are deadly. Each year, more than 56,000 Americans die of the flu and pneumonia.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Newsletter

Stay prepared and protected with Infection Control Today's newsletter, delivering essential updates, best practices, and expert insights for infection preventionists.

Recent Videos
 Brenna Doran PhD, MA, hospital epidemiology and infection prevention for the University of California, San Francisco, and a coach and consultant of infection prevention; Jessica Swain, MBA, MLT, director of infection prevention and control for Dartmouth Health in Lebanon, New Hampshire; and Shanina Knighton, associate professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Nursing and senior nurse scientist at MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Ohio
 Brenna Doran PhD, MA, hospital epidemiology and infection prevention for the University of California, San Francisco, and a coach and consultant of infection prevention; Jessica Swain, MBA, MLT, director of infection prevention and control for Dartmouth Health in Lebanon, New Hampshire; and Shanina Knighton, associate professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Nursing and senior nurse scientist at MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Ohio
In a recent discussion with Infection Control Today® (ICT®), study authors Brenna Doran PhD, MA, hospital epidemiology and infection prevention for the University of California, San Francisco, and a coach and consultant of infection prevention; Jessica Swain, MBA, MLT, director of infection prevention and control for Dartmouth Health in Lebanon, New Hampshire; and Shanina Knighton, associate professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Nursing and senior nurse scientist at MetroHealth System in Cleveland, Ohio, shared their insights on how the project evolved and what the findings mean for the future.