ZDFinfo Documentary

The Spanish flu (2020x5)

Uitzenddatum: Feb 29, 2020

The so-called Spanish flu kills up to 50 million worldwide between 1918 and 1920. Using personal testimonies, letters and diary entries from those who experienced this flu pandemic, the documentary tells of the fates that lie behind one of the worst catastrophes in human history. November 11, 1918 - Armistice Day. All over the world people are celebrating the end of the First World War. But new horrors are on the horizon. A deadly virus is rampant. Schools and theaters are closed. Coffins pile up. The Spanish flu kills at least 25 million people, and according to recent estimates as many as 50 million. The documentary tells of sick soldiers and civilians, their relatives and the doctors and nurses who take up the fight against the disease and try to prevent the virus from spreading. Could such a pandemic break out again today? Have we learned from the mistakes and the insights from back then?