Known as the Spanish Flu, the 1918 pandemic appeared at the end of World War One. It was an aggressive, deadly form of influenza that lasted from about January 1918 to December 1920; infecting around 500 million (around one quarter of the world’s population at the time) and killing about 50 Million.
The lessons learned from the 1918 influenza pandemic have helped the World understand how to fight pandemics like Covid-19; the newest Coronavirus. Even so, the impact on the economy and employee health on businesses and individuals alike is substantial.
The lion’s share of news coverage is focused on novel viruses due to their unique status of not being unexpected and not related to the seasonal flu. Unfortunately, the novel status takes away from the attention that should be given to the seasonal flu with it’s annual impact on businesses and their employees every year. Developing a wellness plan and conducting on-site flu shot clinics for employees helps to decrease health care costs while helping employees to be healthier and more productive.
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