The second wave of the Spanish influenza pandemic in selected regions and towns of Slovakia (1918)
The second wave of the Spanish influenza pandemic in selected regions and towns of Slovakia (1918)

Summary/Abstract: Background: Very few researches have been carried out on the Spanish influenza pandemic and its consequences in the territory of Slovakia. Objectives: The paper constitutes an attempt to investigate the second wave of the pandemic between September and December 1918. It aims to reflect on the following questions: when did the outbreak of the pandemic occur in this region?; what measures were taken during the second wave of the Spanish flu in autumn 1918?; to what extent and based on what data can the number of infected and fatalities be determined? Methods: The research is based on the study of archival sources, as well as the local press, and the county periodicals, in which the official number of infections and deaths were published. Results: The first part of the paper is dedicated to the historiographical reflections, and outlines the possible reasons why historiography has not, so far, examined this question. Here it is argued that on the one hand the focus of the Hungarian and the Slovak historiographies were put on presenting the larger political, social, and economic context and consequences of the creation of Czechoslovakia and the history of the Peace Treaty in Trianon, while on the other hand, scholars have to face the lack of accurate statistical data. The second part of the study provides a short overview of the course of the pandemic in Slovakia and try to make estimates on the number of infections and fatalities based on contemporary statistics. Conclusions: Partial data suggest that around 0.5% of the population of Slovakia may have fallen victim to the epidemic. However, the study presents only the current status of the research, and data are not available for all regions of Slovakia at the moment. Therefore, further research is required to map the impact of the world pandemic on Slovakia, in regions that are missing in such analysis.

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