The Covid-19 pandemic we are currently experiencing is bad. But, it’s not the first time we faced this kind of event. In 1918, the Spanish flu would kill tens of millions of people worldwide, including 675,000 people in the United States. In New York City, more than 20,000 died. Even in 1918, the government took precautions similar to what we’re doing today. Face masks were required in most places and, in Seattle, you couldn’t get on the trolley unless you were wearing one.
As you can see from the news clipping at the top, some local governments prohibited gatherings of more than 10 people. Sound familiar?
Can you imagine? World War I didn’t end until November, 1918 and the Spanish flu was already in place in the US and world-wide. In those days, there was no TV, no computers, no Internet, no streaming video and few had telephones in their homes. If you think you’re going stir-crazy now, just think what it must have been like during this pandemic.
Something that is different however, is the involvement of the US President. During the Spanish flu of 1918-1919, no one can seem to find a single public statement by President Woodrow Wilson regarding what was going on. Obviously, you can’t say the same thing about President Trump.
Additionally, it appears by my research that the newspapers in 1918 and 1919 printed almost nothing about the pandemic or, if they did publish articles, they weren’t the main headlines. Of course, winning the war was everyone’s primary interest yet the Spanish flu killed way more people than the war.
Here are a few stories I found interesting about the 1918 pandemic:
Thank you. Have read a few articles on the Spanish flu… . Imagine without the communication and med knowledge we have today. Look forward to resuming class
.. . Keep safe & well. God bless.