Ambiguous Statistics and Misinformation
According to a report by the Institute for Research on Women, Gender & Sexuality (IRWGS) at the University of Houston (2022), calculating demographic and mortality figures during a pandemic is complex. Even with modern information technology, variables such as race, gender, geographic location and age can complicate the accuracy of data reports. This challenge was also reflected in the varied news articles published during the 1918 influenza epidemic. Some articles, like "La influenza española en Camp Grant" ["The Spanish Flu at Camp Grant"] (1918), presented generalized data and figures that were impossible to verify with certainty.