COVID-19: Remembering similar 1918 pandemic that claimed 100,000 lives in Ghana
- The Spanish flu, also known as 1918 Pandemic was a viral disease strikingly similar to COVID-19 and nearly wiped the entire planet
- It killed over 50 million people, which is far more than those who died during the First World War and claimed an estimated 100,000 lives in present-day Ghana.
- Many people had to dig graves for their own family members due to the massive nature of the 1918 Influenza
Our Manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in
A global pandemic with attributes resembling those of COVID-19 by name H1N1 or Influenza or Spanish flu occurred in 1918 and killed an estimated 100,000 Ghanaians.
A report gathered by Cambridge.org, indicates that the disease was introduced into the then Gold Coast by shipping along the Southern Coast and overland across the Northern Frontier.
The influenza epidemic killed 100,000 or more people in less than six months and was almost certainly the worst short-term demographic disaster in the history of Ghana.
READ ALSO: COVID-19: If your wedding was cancelled, God's giving you a 2nd chance to rethink your choice
At the peak of the disease, one in every three people in the entire world was affected and the number of people who died was 50 million, which is 10 million more than the number of people who died during the First World War.
The flu took a heavy human toll, wiping out entire families and leaving countless widows and orphans in its wake. Funeral parlours were overwhelmed as numerous bodies were always piled up.
It is reported that many people had to dig graves for their own family members due to the massive nature of the 1918 Influenza.
READ ALSO: Meet 17-year-old black girl without arms who made it into the US army cadet
Just like COVID-19, the H1N1 virus affected people through the nose, throat and sometimes the lungs, causing many to experience fever, nausea, aches and sore throat.
In other news, a health expert has indicated 12 major steps in sanitizing the hand effectively in these extraordinary times of the COVID-19 pandemic
The steps range from dipping the tips of the finger into the sanitizer all the way to rubbing the wrists very well
Ghanaians have been reacting massively to the video that hit social media recently
Enjoy reading our stories? Download YEN's news app on Google Play now and stay up-to-date with major Ghana news!
Only God can save Ghana from the Coronavirus outbreak - Pastor declares | #Yencomgh
Get interactive via our Facebook page.
Source: YEN.com.gh
