Pandemic 1918

I started reading this to combat the “doom scrolling” in the early days of the COVID-19 virus reaching the US.

It's amazing how much history rhymes. The things experienced during the 1918 pandemic are the same things we are experiencing with COVID-19, the only differences is, in 1918, the government didn't care about demanding face masks being “unconstitutional,” they cared about the safety & health of the public (unless, of course, you were in the military, in which case, ships were filled above capacity, and to the shock of none of the modern readers: The Spanish Flu spread like wildfire and many soldiers were buried at sea, without ever seeing battle).

It's interesting to see how much has also changed. Yes, we are wearing face masks for COVID-19 as well. Yes, schools are also “closed” during COVID-19 (though there is “school at home,” which was not available in 1918). Yes, doctors and nurses came out of retirement to help care for the sick/dying. During the Spanish Flu (H5N1), school gymnasiums were converted into make shift hospitals. Pools were drained to be used as makeshift morgues. Mass graves were made to make room for the bodies. Time will tell if any of these things are happening in 2020, but thusfar, I have not seen/heard news coverage of them (granted, I live in NY, and our governor worked to ensure the health & safety of the citizens here).

It's also interesting to see how the country's views have changed. Phrases that would be considered “leftist” now, were not classified as political back then, and the author does not seem to mention the community's response to such statements (“Stressing that ‘the many shall not be placed in danger by the few', the paper urged readers to wear a mask. ‘Those who are not doing so are not showing their independence – they are only showing their indifference for the lives of others – for the lives of the women and the helpless little children who cannot help themselves.'” - Location 3979 in the Kindle eBook). Perhaps it was because there wasn't as much competition for news sources back then? It's interesting to read how united the US was in trying to fight against the spread of the Spanish Flu, and it is also interesting to read how even back then, there were people who considered basic public safety measures to be unconstitutional (“While most residents caught without a mask were simply forgetful or minor transgressors, some harboured deep resentment over being forced to wear a mask in public. One woman, a downtown attorney, argued that the mask ordinance was ‘absolutely unconstitutional' because it was not legally enacted, and that as a result every police officer who had arrested an unmasked citizen was personally liable.” - Location 2624 in the Kindle eBook).

It's a damn shame the US couldn't prevent history from rhyming again when it came to the COVID-19 pandemic. With luck, the future generations will remember the history when the next pandemic comes around and makes its way to America's shores.