Could this happen again? The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history, so deadly that some countries ran out of coffins. The symptoms were horrible, giving it the name of “black flu.” Although there is no universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919. It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide.
Now 100 years later, we will explore in this two-day minicourse the origins of the pandemic; its impact in Europe, Asia, and the Americas; and how the field of global health changed from an emphasis on tropical medicine to international health.
Materials, ACT 48, parking and meals included.