As COVID-19 continues threatening people around the world, a virtual presentation will explore the similarities and effects of the 1918 Spanish Influenza, which claimed more than 600,000 lives in the U.S.
The National World War I Museum and Memorial and a group of northeast Kansas libraries, including the Leavenworth Public Library will host the event, called We’ve Been Here Before, today at 7 p.m. on Zoom.
The discussion will be hosted by the libraries, Dr. Nancy Bristow, history department chair at University of Puget Sound, and Lora Vogt of the National WWI Museum and Memorial.
The presentation will look at many aspects of the two pandemics, including the state of medical knowledge in 1918 and 2020.
Questions from people who have signed up for the presentation will provide a wide range of subjects which will be explained and discussed.
The subjects will include the political situation’s effect on the nation’s response to the 1918 pandemic, how the flu affected gatherings, if schools and businesses closed, if families gathered for holidays and if funerals were conducted in the usual way.
Part of the discussion will look at polarization. Concerning rights and responsibilities, the U.S. has currently been polarized on how the virus should be dealt with.
One side is concerned that their individual rights are being threatened through lock-down orders and denial of their rights to gather, worship and conduct business without interference.
With a great number of people voicing their concerns about rights being balanced with concern for the public good and observing distancing and wearing masks, tensions have mounted in the last year. The discussion will explore how people reacted to the 1918 pandemic in these same areas.
The talks will look at how different parts of the country were affected and if the 1918 flu affected demographic groups such as race, income level and age differently, and how the population 100 years ago finally stopped the spread of the flu.
Another area that will be a focus of the presentation will be media, and whether there was more misinformation with basic print media and radio, or if our modern communication technology and social media has allowed far more untrue information to be distributed.
The presentation will provide answers, and also raise questions on how Americans, a century apart, have handled a deadly virus that in some way or another has affected, and made a profound impact on the U.S. population.
To listen to the Zoom webinar, We’ve Been Here Before, sign up for the program by going to the Zoom link, my.theworldwar.org/7712.