Timeline: Comparison of Pandemics: 1918 vs. 2020

Jan 1, 1917

Introduction

In 1918, following a major world war, a deadly influenza virus struck the globe. Traveling with soldiers returning home to numerous countries around the globe, the pandemic was unlike anything the modern world had ever seen, infecting a third of the international population and killing about 50 million people worldwide. Because the actual Flu virus itself had yet to be discovered, there was little scientific contingency with which to deal with such an outbreak.

Jan 2, 1917

Intro Pt.2

Many Americans believed, due to the political climate at the time, that the disease was sent to America by foreign countries looking to sabotage the U.S. after world war one. Others became infuriated by restrictions put in place to prevent the spread of the disease, such as the infamous “Anti-mask League”.

Jan 3, 1917

Intro Pt.3

”. But nevertheless, the organizations and establishments which made up the foundations of society persisted in the effort to combat the illness, from school systems and city governments to justice departments and women’s leagues. 100 years later, a similar event has once again occurred: a mysterious virus called Covid-19 has brought the world to a stand-still.

Jan 4, 1917

Intro Pt.4

Once again, the American government and people have found themselves stricken with a deadly pandemic, and once again they find themselves grappling with internal resistance and dispute. While there have been a great many scientific and technological advancements in the time since the 1918 Influenza outbreak, many of the socio-political qualities seen at the end of the second decade of the 20th century are afresh in the American mindset.

Jan 5, 1917

Intro Pt.5

These include race, nationalism, and the extent of personal freedoms in regards to public safety. Beyond these issues, however, remain those same backbones of the nation, the hospitals, schools, and various other systems who exist meet situations such as these.

Jan 6, 1917

Intro Pt.6

When looked at even through the weakest of microscopes, the similarities in context and presence of these two diseases are almost alarmingly present. How is it possible that, after a hundred years in the most advanced era of human history, a problem can occur with such obvious historical precedent and still create such issue?

Jan 7, 1917

Intro Pt.7

The cyclical nature of these diseases begs the question: What are the differences in American institutional response taken against the 1918 Flu and the 2020 Covid Pandemic? This exhibit aims to inform the audience of the similarities in response to these pandemics, and how these similarities evolved over the course of 100 years.

1918

Red Cross Volunteers

This photograph shows Red Cross volunteer nurses wearing masks while working on supplies to be used in Oakland, California hospitals during the 1918 Pandemic. Despite the flu virus having not been discovered yet, it was understood that the disease could be spread through close contact without protective respiratory equipment.

1918

RCV Pt.2

Beyond hospitals, masks were frequently required by mandate to be worn by the general population when going about their daily routines, especially in large cities such as Oakland and San Francisco. While not adhering to modern standards for social distancing, this photo resembles many taken during the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic, exemplifying the never-ending need for "essential workers".

Oct 5, 1918

Philadelphia Inquirer Article on spread of the Influenza Pandemic

This October 5th, 1918 article from the Philadelphia Inquirer covers the rapid transmission of influenza across the eastern seaboard, as well as the announcement that all bars and business's selling liquor in Philadelphia would have to close their doors as a preventative measure against the disease

Oct 6, 1918

PI Pt.2

Due to the communal atmosphere often found in establishments involved in the sale of liquor and alcohol, this measure was a common precaution taken by city governments to avoid the large gathering of people in atmospheres ripe for exchanging the Flu virus. Although not quite as wide-scale as the social distancing protocols taken in 2020, the closing of establishments prone to socialization is a shared response in both eras to the swift moving pandemics.

Mar 30, 2020

Maryland Governor Gives Stay at Home Order

On March 30th, 2020, Maryland governor Larry Hogan ordered the citizens of his state to stay in their homes indefinitely, only to leave if absolutely necessary. Hogan's mandate was one also given by governors and mayors across the country, as Covid-19 paralyzed the infrastructure of the United States. These quarantine orders were heavily divisive in public opinion and support, as they stripped many people of the ability to make the money necessary to earn a living.

Mar 31, 2020

SAH Pt.2

These mandates, and the public outcry against them, are reflective of those given during the 1918 pandemic when businesses selling liquor were shut down and sailors returning to port were forced to quarantine. Despite the economic implications of the mandates and the continued increase of Covid infection rates, they were largely effective in decreasing the potential transmission of the disease to millions of people (Beaubien 2020), showing the evolution in efficiency from 1918 to 2020.

May 16, 2020

Letter From Frontline Covid-19 Nurse

Working in the field of nursing at any time is stressful and dangerous. The intense workloads and the responsibility of peoples health and lives resting in a persons’ hands makes this career an infamously trying endeavor, but in the middle of a pandemic, the risks of simply going to work are increased ten-fold.

May 17, 2020

Frontline Pt.2

Penned by a nurse working in a "warm" unit in Hawaii, this letter to the editor of the Maui News details the extreme sacrifices and hazards endured by the first line of defense against injury and disease in a time when both are in the forefront of the national conscious. These struggles were once endured by the nuns, nurses and volunteers of the Flu pandemic, although they often never got the opportunity to share these experiences with the public as Mrs.Laurie Chock did.

Mar 31, 2021

Bibliography

Rogers, Edwards. “Image/ American Red Cross volunteers of 1917-1918”, Calisphere.org, March 22 2021 15:36, https://calisphere.org/item/ark:/13030/kt0k4022fb/ Hogan, Larry. “As COVID-19 Crisis Escalates in Capitol Region, Governor Hogan Issues Stay At Home Order Effective Tonight”, Governor.Maryland.gov, March 21, 2021, https://governor.maryland.gov/2020/03/30/as-covid-19-crisis-escalates-in-capital-region-governor-hogan-issues-stay-at-home-order-effective-tonight/

Mar 31, 2021