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48 The College of New Jersey Magazine 10 things you need to know about … THE SPANISH FLU One hundred years ago, a strain of influenza killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide, including about 675,000 Americans. TCNJ marked its 1918–19 anniversary last fall with lectures, a flu shot clinic, and even a flu-themed, escape-room tent. —Kara Pothier 8. The Spanish flu strain H1N1 is still prevalent today. The difference is how we now treat it. 7. Death from the Spanish flu was quick. Strangely, the most vulnerable group had the strongest immune systems: 20- to 40-year-olds. 2. Its name is misleading — the flu didn't originate in Spain. A neutral country, Spain reported news of the disease; other countries banned news that could cause panic or lower morale. 3. The college closed down for an "enforced vacation" for three weeks in October 1918, the pandemic's peak. There's no record of anyone dying from the flu. 4. Akash Patel '21 combed through New Jersey cemeteries, health department archives, and local hospital records to compile a more complete account of the flu's toll on the state. 10. Rumor has it, getting out alive from the interactive multimedia department's escape room came down to knowing how to use a rotary phone. (Students were baffled.) 6. Nursing Dean Carole Kenner says the pandemic changed public health. "Practice nurses" received quick training to help communities, setting the stage for health networks designed to respond to crisis. 9. The H7N9 flu strain in China has been under observation since 2013 in case it could launch the next pandemic, says biology professor Rita King. 5. The minutes of the New Jersey State Board of Health at the time focus on sewage permits, not influenza, says Patel. TCNJ X10 1. Because the pandemic happened during World War I, disease spread quickly among troops living in close quarters and moving between countries.