From the ‘Spanish Flu’ to COVID-19: lessons from the 1918 pandemic and First World War by ICRC Humanitarian Law & Policy Blog

The influenza pandemic from 1918-1919, commonly known as the ‘Spanish Flu’, was the most severe health disaster in recent history. The chaos and political decisions taken during the First World War only worsened its reach and effects. There are hard-won lessons from this period, and similarities with the COVID-19 crisis, that merit reflection on how armed conflicts can influence the ways we talk about and struggle to mitigate the current pandemic.