Podcast Series: Stuff You Missed in History Class

Episode: 8 March 2021 – 1918 Flu Pandemic, Revisited – Part I

Did you know the 1918 pandemic featured anti-maskers and politicians who downplayed or ignored the pandemic altogether? What are mask slackers? What stuff did you miss in history class? Like many scientists I have not stepped into a history class since I was 16 and recently books and podcasts have filled in the blanks. Learning the important role history plays in understanding the science, health and public policy we have today has left me with many “Ah ha!” moments. 

One of those moments came from listening to this incredibly engaging, informative and relevant podcast on the 1918 flu pandemic. Part I (there’s also a part II), originally published in 2014, explains the magnitude of the pandemic and the public health approaches to minimise its transmission which were incredibly similar to the announcements we see today, almost exactly 100 years later. San Francisco even implemented a mandatory mask law and the reaction from the public feels oddly familiar. Want to learn more about the efficacy of Gauze masks? Check out the 1920 study published in the American Journal of Public Health called An experimental study of the efficacy of gauze masks.  

The podcast really begs the question: What has changed in the last 100 years? But more importantly, what can we learn from our response to COVID-19 for next time (because there will be a next time…)? I’m sure some of our infectious disease experts at LSHTM would have a few things to say about that.