least 40 million people died as a result of the epidemic, the majority of them suffocated by a lethal accumulation of blood and other fluid in the lungs. Ironically, unlike most flu epidemics, but like the war that preceded and spread it, the influenza of 1918 disproportionately killed young adults. One in every hundred American males between the ages of 25 and 34 fell victim to the 'Spanish Lady'. Strikingly, the global peak of mortality was in October and November 1918.
The 1918 influenza epidemic resulted in at least 40 million deaths worldwide, primarily due to a dangerous buildup of fluids in the lungs, leading to suffocation. Unlike typical flu outbreaks, this pandemic disproportionately affected young adults, especially men aged 25 to 34, with one in every hundred succumbing to the disease. Notably, the pandemic's deadliest period occurred in October and November of 1918.
This striking mortality pattern serves as a grim reminder of the pandemic's lethal impact, paralleling the devastation caused by the preceding war. As detailed in Niall Ferguson's "The War of the World," the Spanish flu's toll on the population marked a significant historical intersection where health crises and global conflict collided, highlighting the vulnerability of society in times of upheaval.
