The Spanish Flu was one of the deadliest diseases that spread across the world in 1918. It infected an estimated 500 million people worldwide and killed an estimated 20 to 50 million people. The first wave of the deadliest pandemic occurred in the spring of 1918 and it was generally mild. The majority of the patients recovered after several days and the mortality rate was very low. However, the second wave in the fall of 1918 was highly contagious. Patients died within hours or days of developing symptoms, their skin turning blue and their lungs filling with fluid that caused them to suffocate.
Schools, Universities, theaters, and businesses were shut down and people ordered to wear a mask. Citizens in San Francisco were also fined and punished for not wearing the mask in public. The penalty for violators was $5 and in some cases 10 days’ imprisonment. At that time the masks were made of gauze and they were not effective. People were told to make face masks with four to six layers of fine mesh gauze. Most of the people wore masks in public, but they took it off in their workplaces and gatherings.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors and health specialists have instructed to wear masks, because they are one of the most effective ways to prevent the transmission of the virus. Today we have the most effective, cheap, and disposable masks. Here below are some historical photos that show how people wore a mask during the Spanish Flu pandemic.
