Spanish Flu Pandemic

The 1918 flu pandemic was commonly referred to as the Spanish Flu was an influenza pandemic that spread to nearly every part of the world. It was caused by an unusually virulent and deadly influenza A virus strain of subtype H1N1. Most of its victims were healthy young adults, in contrast to most influenza outbreaks which predominantly affect juvenile, elderly, or otherwise weakened patients. The flu pandemic has also been implicated in the sudden outbreak of encephalitis lethargica in the 1920s. The pandemic lasted from March 1918 to June 1920,and is estimated that anywhere from 50 to 100 million people were killed worldwide which is from three to seven times the casualties of the First World War (15 million), making it the most deadly natural disaster in human history, possibly more deadly that the Black death [killing about 10% to 20% of those infected]. An estimated 50 million people, about 3% of the world's population (approximately 1.6 billion at the time), died of the disease and an estimated 500 million, or 1/3 of the worlds population were infected.

Servicemen with Lewisham connections who died during the period of the Spanish Flu Pandemic and whose death is recorded as having been from flu.

Servicemen with Lewisham connections who died during the period of the Spanish Flu Pandemic and whose death is recorded as having been from pneumonia the most common side effect of flu.

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