The Spanish flu was a pandemic that occurred in 1918. It is estimated that around 50 to 75 million people died, or the equivalent of 5% of the planet's population.
In Brazil, the number of fatal victims was 35,000 people.
Origin of the Spanish flu (which was not Spanish)
Despite being called that, the Spanish flu did not originate in Spain.
The name comes from the fact that Spain was the first country to report on the disease. As Spain was not in World War I (1914-1918), its newspapers were not censored, unlike other nations that were fighting.
In fact, the pathology began in southern France, where American and British troops were encamped. From there, American soldiers carried the virus to the United States.
The first case, in the United States, was probably a cook who worked in a military barracks. He had the symptoms of a normal flu, but rapidly worsened.
Hours after his admission, one hundred people already showed signs of the disease.
The 3 Main Symptoms of Spanish Flu
Spanish flu had the following symptoms:
- High fever,
- body pain,
- difficulty breathing.
Within days, the lungs filled with fluid and, as a result, blood circulation was compromised. In a short period of time, patients had dark skin due to lack of oxygen.
The condition evolved to bleeding from the mucous membranes, such as the nose, stomach and intestine.
How and when did the Spanish flu reach Brazil
The Spanish flu virus arrived in Brazil in October 1918, probably brought by the British ship “Demerara”, which stopped at Recife, Rio de Janeiro and Santos.
Another possibility is that Brazilian soldiers who had participated in the European confrontation returned to the country infected.
In any case, in October 1918, commercial and cultural activities were paralyzed across the country, and the streets were deserted. In São Paulo, corpses were piling up on the street, while in Porto Alegre it was necessary to build another cemetery to house their 1,316 dead.
Rio de Janeiro was the state most affected by the pandemic, as 12,700 victims died in the then capital of the country.
The virus affected people between 20 and 40 years of age and did not respect social classes. The president Rodrigues Alves, who fought yellow fever together with Oswaldo Cruz, was reelected president. However, he could not assume, as he died of the Spanish flu.
Curiosities
- In order to prevent a new outbreak, the Brazilian government began to organize a national health system. This would be created in 1919 under the name of the National Health Department and made official on January 2, 1920.
- Composer Assis Valente remembered the pandemic in the 1938 samba “E o mundo não sessa”, recorded by Carmem Miranda.
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