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In 1918, a new and severe strain of influenza was making its way across the globe. Within two years later, approximately one-third of the world's population had become infected and more than 50 million people died as a result.
This unique strain of influenza was noted for mostly affecting otherwise healthy adults. In particular, soldiers fighting in close proximity in trenches during World War I were highly susceptible to the illness. As a result, more US soldiers died of the virus than at the hands of enemy soldiers.
In the United States, widespread precautionary measures were taken to help curb the spread of the virus. It was not uncommon to see store clerks, barbers, pedestrians, and police officers equipped with protective face masks. Public spaces were frequently fumigated for disease, and indoor gathering spaces such as courts and churches were temporarily relocated outdoors.
To highlight the similarities between the 1918 pandemic the current state of the coronavirus pandemic, MyHeritage has processed a collection of historic black-and-white pictures with their advanced colorization software to reveal what history looked like in remarkable color.
These colorized pictures from history show how people attempted to control the spread of the devastating 1918 influenza pandemic.