The COVID crisis continues to rage, changing lives around the world. The pandemic may feel unprecedented, but history tells a different story. In 1918, an epidemic began to sweep the globe, claiming between 2 and 100 million lives. The Spanish Flu: How the World Recovered examines the details of this disastrous event and extrapolates important lessons we can learn from it.
The well-known Spanish flu infected as many as 2/3 of the world’s population, caused a 5% mortality rate, and affected the young and old. This catastrophe predated many of the tools, technologies, and conveniences of our modern world, which left humans more vulnerable to the danger of infection.
Insight into that era was harder to come by than it is today. Censuses are not that complex, and historical texts lack specificity. With that in mind, the movie does an excellent job of putting together the timelines, events, and other details we’ve identified.
This H1N1 flu pandemic first emerged at the end of World War I, when large numbers of soldiers returned from travel abroad. Kansas and New York were the first U.S. cities with infections in the thousands. The disease spread rapidly between the United States and Europe. While not thought to be the place of origin, Spain has been hit particularly hard and is one of the few regions willing to consistently and publicly report the virus.
Like the Spanish flu, historically past plagues have led to major social changes, including increased social mobility and exciting new cultural and artistic expressions. What new realities can we expect in the wake of the current pandemic?
The Spanish Flu: How the World Recovered illustrates the incredible connection between our current situation and the struggles faced by an unprepared population more than 100 years ago. The virus ebbs and flows, people’s defenses weaken, and the media and government agencies suppress information to preserve public morals. In these connections lie important lessons that we can all benefit from.
Directed by: Pete Kelly
