Coronavirus and the Spanish Flu (Which Hit 102 Years Ago This Week)

Sure has made the headlines with all the St. Patrick's and sporting events cancelled the last few days.

I can't help but believe this is partially fueled by the media where disaster equals big bucks for advertising.  Just look at the weather channel come a good-sized hurricane.

But, diseases are nothing to ignore and it is better to be careful than not.  However, I didn't go out and stock up on toilet paper or food. When we have several deaths and a hundred cases here in McHenry County, Illinois, I will then be taking really serious steps to deal with it.

Yesterday, we were at Donovan's Reef in Twin Lakes,Wisconsin, and playing our usual This Happened on Today's Date trivia game.  And, one of the items on it was March 11, 1918, when the first known case of what became known as the Spanish Flu broke out in Fort Riley, Kansas. By the end of the day, over 100 soldiers were sick with it.

And, with all the Coronavirus going on right now, 102 years later.

Now, that Spanish Flu was a really, really bad pandemic.  It is estimated that anywhere between 17 million and 50 million people died of it across the world and the United States was particularly hard hit.

So.