The 1918–20 Influenza Pandemic
A Retrospective in the Time of COVID-19

Global history of the 1918-20 Influenza Pandemic (Spanish Flu) that delivers insights into the socio-economic implications of the COVID-19.

Prema-chandra Athukorala (Author), Chaturica Athukorala (Author)

9781009336086, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 24 November 2022

75 pages
22.8 x 15.2 x 0.5 cm, 0.13 kg

The pandemic of 1918–20-commonly known as the Spanish flu-infected over a quarter of the world's population and killed over fifty million people. It is by far the greatest humanitarian disaster caused by an infectious disease in modern history. Epidemiologists and health scientists often draw on this experience to set the plausible upper bound (the 'worst case scenario') on future pandemic mortality. The purpose of this study is to piece together and analyse the scattered multi-disciplinary literature on the pandemic in order to place debates on the evolving course of the current COVID-19 crisis in historical perspective. The analysis focuses on the changing characteristics of pathogens and disease over time, the institutional factors that shaped the global spread, the demographic and socio-economic consequences, and pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical responses to the pandemic. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

1. Why Revisit the 1918–20 Influenza Pandemic?
2. Origin and global spread
3. Mortality: Count and Demographic Profile
4. Geography of Mortality
5. Public Policy Response
6. Socio-economic Impact
7. Lessons
Appendix: Mortality of the 1918–20 influenza pandemic.

Subject Areas: Pharmaceutical technology [TDCW], Infectious & contagious diseases [MJCJ], Pharmaceutical industries [KNDP], Development economics & emerging economies [KCM], Economics [KC]