Spanish flu was a deadly influenza pandemic that struck in the autumn of 1918, just as the First World War was drawing to a close. It is estimated that the virus infected half a billion people worldwide and killed 50–100 million, significantly more than the war itself. A special exhibition, 'Spanish Flu: nursing during history’s deadliest pandemic', will be held at the Florence Nightingale Museum, 2 Lambeth Palace Road, London SE1 7EW, from Friday 21 September 2018 until 16 June 2019.
When Spanish flu struck in 1918, doctors were at a loss to treat or prevent it. The only thing that seemed to help was good nursing, so it often fell to women, both professional nurses and ordinary women caring for their families, to care for the victims.
Unusually, compared to seasonal influenza outbreaks, healthy young adults were particularly at risk. Victims suffered some truly gruesome symptoms, including explosive nosebleeds and distinctive blue-tinged skin caused by a lack of oxygen as their lungs filled with fluid and pus. The scale of the pandemic was so vast, that essential public services broke down across the globe, hospitals were overwhelmed with patients, and a shortage of both coffins and gravediggers meant that the bodies of victims could remain unburied for weeks.
The exhibition will be supported by a diverse events programme, a free downloadable resource pack for schools, and a ‘pop up’ touring exhibition which will enable audiences beyond London to see core and digital content.