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The Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918–20: An interpretative survey in the time of COVID-19

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  • Prema-chandra Athukorala
  • Chaturica Athukorala

Abstract

The Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918-20—commonly known as the Spanish flu—infected over a quarter of the world’s population and killed over 50 million people. It is by far the greatest humanitarian disaster caused by infectious disease in modern history. Epidemiologists and health scientists often draw on this experience to set the plausible upper bound (the ‘worst case scenario’) on future pandemic mortality. The purpose of this study is to piece together and analyse the scattered multi-disciplinary literature on the pandemic in order to place debates on the evolving course of the current COVID-19 crisis in historical perspective. The analysis focuses on the changing characteristics of pathogens and disease over time, the institutional factors that shaped the global spread, and the demographic and socio-economic consequences.

Suggested Citation

  • Prema-chandra Athukorala & Chaturica Athukorala, 2020. "The Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918–20: An interpretative survey in the time of COVID-19," Departmental Working Papers 2020-21, The Australian National University, Arndt-Corden Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:pas:papers:2020-21
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    File URL: https://acde.crawford.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/publication/acde_crawford_anu_edu_au/2020-11/acde_td_athukorala_athukorala_2020_21.pdf
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ohadike, Don C., 1991. "Diffusion and physiological responses to the influenza pandemic of 1918-19 in Nigeria," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 32(12), pages 1393-1399, January.
    2. Thomas A. Garrett, 2009. "War And Pestilence As Labor Market Shocks: U.S. Manufacturing Wage Growth 1914–1919," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 47(4), pages 711-725, October.
    3. Jonas Helgertz & Tommy Bengtsson, 2019. "The Long-Lasting Influenza: The Impact of Fetal Stress During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic on Socioeconomic Attainment and Health in Sweden, 1968–2012," Demography, Springer;Population Association of America (PAA), vol. 56(4), pages 1389-1425, August.
    4. Neelsen, Sven & Stratmann, Thomas, 2012. "Long-run effects of fetal influenza exposure: Evidence from Switzerland," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 74(1), pages 58-66.
    5. Siddharth Chandra & Yan-Liang Yu, 2015. "The 1918 influenza pandemic and subsequent birth deficit in Japan," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 33(11), pages 313-326.
    6. Barro, Robert J., 2022. "Non-pharmaceutical interventions and mortality in U.S. cities during the great influenza pandemic, 1918–1919," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 76(2), pages 93-106.
    7. repec:aei:rpaper:1008563887 is not listed on IDEAS
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    Cited by:

    1. Mikel Erkoreka & Josu Hernando & Eduardo J. Alonso & Anton Erkoreka, 2021. "Impacto económico, demográfico y social de la pandemia de gripe española en Bizkaia (1918-1920)," Investigaciones de Historia Económica - Economic History Research (IHE-EHR), Journal of the Spanish Economic History Association, Asociación Española de Historia Económica, vol. 17(02), pages 42-53.
    2. Brata, Aloysius Gunadi & Triandaru, Sigit & Patnasari, Yenny & Setyastuti, Rini & Sutarta, Agustinus Edi & Sukamto, Andreas, 2022. "The Spanish Flu Pandemic and Income Distribution in Java: Lessons from the 1920s," Jurnal Ekonomi Malaysia, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, vol. 56(3), pages 103-117.
    3. Masato Shizume, 2022. "The Great Influenza Pandemic in Japan: Policy Responses and Socioeconomic Consequences," Discussion Paper Series DP2022-27, Research Institute for Economics & Business Administration, Kobe University, revised Oct 2022.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Spanish flu; COVID-19; pandemic; infectious;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • F50 - International Economics - - International Relations, National Security, and International Political Economy - - - General
    • I10 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - General
    • O50 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - General
    • Z1 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics

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