2004: Influenza Epidemic

“The War that Came Home: The Individuals that personalized the 1918 influenza epidemic in Middletown, Connecticut” by Stephanie Savas

A look at the 1918 influenza epidemic that first struck China and Spain in February and swept throughout Europe, reaching the shores of North America in the early spring. The epidemic was extremely massive, killing an estimated 50-100 million people worldwide.  Focus on Middletown, Connecticut, where 1400 people were struck and 400 died. Also highlighted will be three individuals- Wesley Rich- a Wesleyan University professor, Cushman Sears- a retired physician, and Frances Sheehan- a student nurse. Their life stories offer unique viewpoints of the epidemic and bring to life the events and emotions that the rest of the country was experiencing.

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