And the flu recurs around the same time every year. The strains always cycle through and originate in China.
Another book is Gina Kolata’s “Flu”; she notes that the 1918 flu was the most devastating in the middle of escalating outbreaks, with the 1917 being worse than the 1916, the 1920 being less bad than the 1919.
There were some killer flu epidemics in the 19th century as well, the Spanish Lady just eclipsed them all.
Agreed. But it is interesting that an experimental vaccine was being tested on Ft Riley in January, when the Spanish Flu broke out there in March