NEW ORLEANS — People are preparing for a pandemic Thanksgiving. However, it's not the first time the United States has done so. More than a century ago, the Spanish Flu swept across the nation killing hundreds of thousands in its path.
Life with the Coronavirus is historic, but it's not unprecedented.
"The public health measures we're using today, are actually derived from studying what was done in 1918," said John Barry with the Tulane School of Public Health.
At that time, our nation was in the midst of a flu pandemic, that spread like wildfire.
"There are a lot of lessons you can take from 1918, but there are also a lot of differences," he said. "The virus was much more lethal, there were many more deaths, and most of the people who died were young, between 18-45."
A mild first wave hit in March. By September, a second, deadlier wave had begun.
"New Orleans was one of the ten hardest hit cities in the country. It was hit early, largely because of the Port," said Barry.
What happened next may sound familiar. Nationwide curfews, lockdowns, schools and businesses closed. Masks were worn and it was advised the best protection was staying home.
"One thing they did better in 1918, then we're doing today, is they emphasized ventilation a lot," Barry said. "That's very important, dilute the air so the virus dissipates so you don't get as strong a dose of virus if you breathe it in."
While we're seeing a surge now, by Thanksgiving 1918, cases fell and restrictions, for some, lifted. A third wave hit a few months later, but by summer 1919 cases faded away.
"Both fortunately and unfortunately it's not 1918, this is a very dangerous virus, but we should be thankful it's not as deadly as the 1918 virus," he said.
More than a century later, history is repeating itself. And how we handle the Coronavirus today, will determine how history judges us in the future.
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