Remembering the Spanish Flu and WW1, Episode 310

<blockquote>This episode features our frequent and very popular guest Elyse Rivin. If you enjoy her episodes, please consider supporting her on <a href="https://www.patreon.com/elysart" target= "_blank" rel="noopener">Patreon</a>.</blockquote> <p>On today's episode of the podcast Annie Sargent brings you a conversation with Elyse Rivin. As we celebrate then end of WW1 it is also important to remember that the Spanish Flu killed even more people than the war that had just ended. We also talk about how the Spanish Flu changed Europe forever especially how Europeans understand the need to extend health care to everyone.</p> <p>I also want to do a quick review of a book about WW1 that I absolutely loved called <a href="https://amzn.to/2Ih0Rwj">All Blood Runs Red by Henry Scott Harris</a> about Eugene Jacques Bullard the African American born in Georgia who enlisted in the French Foreign Legion and served with great honor in both WW1 and WW2. An extraordinary person and a well crafted book that brings WW1 and this person to life for me.</p> <p>I will also read you a bit of <a href= "https://amzn.to/38mXVsX">The Plague by Camus</a> right before the end music. If you're interested in learning about virology today, Annie recommends you add <a href= "https://www.microbe.tv/twiv/">This Week in Virology</a> to your podcast line-up.</p> <h2>Remembering the Spanish Flu</h2> <p>Unfortunately talking about the Spanish Flu is the right way to celebrate WW1 in 2020 because we're in the middle of our own pandemic right now.</p> <p>It is called the Spanish Flu, but it had little to do with Spain. This flu didn't start in Spain. They had no part in spreading it any more than any other country. What happened is that since they weren't involved in WW1 Spanish newspapers were not the victim of censorship. They spoke about the pandemic freely in Spain and so they got associated with it for no reason.</p> <p>It is more likely that the Spanish Flu started with a farmer in the US who then went to serve on a US army base. As American soldie