The first thing to realize about the flu pandemic of 1918-1920 is that it actually started in the United States. It was first noted on military bases, and was unusual in that it targeted younger, healthier people rather than the usual elderly and child populations usually affected by the flu. Within a few months the disease had spread to France, and from there around the world. Troop movements seems to be the main explanation, as infected soldiers travelled to and from home, Given the British Empire’s reach at the time, that allowed the disease a wide reach. The disease often presented as a sudden onset of pneumonia and symptoms of difficulty breathing, and cyanosis(blue colored skin from lack of oxygen). The disease could kill people in a single day, adding to its scariness. Even those who weren’t killed by it would be incapacitated for days, requiring care from those not yet affected. In some cases entire towns were killed off, though the disease was not uniformally fatal. Other communities went almost unscathed. But in some cities daily activities had to be curtailed, such as going to church or sports events, to try and slow down the spread of the disease. Overall it killed around 20-25 million people, though the exact numbers are not known. Society today examines the pandemic to help us predict what might occur should there be another outbreak of such a disease. We have learned the need for early recognition, the need to quarantine victims quickly, and to look to the use of antibiotics or antiviral medications to head off the disease in people exposed to the disease who have not yet become symptomatic. I’m sorry i can’t list sources at the moment, but I’m not at home to refer to my source texts.

Good Luck with that spanish.