1918 Flu Pandemic

The 1918 flu pandemic (the "Spanish flu") was an influenza pandemic, and the first of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus (the second was the 2009 flu pandemic, an outbreak of swine flu). It was an unusually severe and deadly pandemic that spread across the world. Historical and epidemiological data are inadequate to identify the geographic origin.  Most victims were healthy young adults, in contrast to most influenza outbreaks, which predominantly affect juvenile, elderly, or weakened patients. The flu pandemic was implicated in the outbreak of encephalitis lethargica in the 1920s. The pandemic lasted from January 1918 to December 1920, spreading even to the Arctic and remote Pacific islands. Between 50 and 130 million died, making it one of the deadliest natural disasters in human history.     Even using the lower estimate of 50 million people, 3% of the world's population (which was 1.86 billion at the time ) died of the disease. Some 500 million, or 27%, were infected.

1918 Flu Pandemic in Southern Victory
The Spanish Influenza struck not long after the end of the Great War, killing many people. The flu was very devastating to many businesses, especially in the South as they tried to pull themselves out of their economic slump. US sailor Sam Carsten caught the flu but survived.

1918 Flu Pandemic in Worldwar
Sam Yeager had caught the Spanish Influenza back in 1918, and survived. As a result, he had to wear false teeth.