A Closer Look: 1918 Flu Comparisons

Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, people have made comparisons between it and the 1918 flu. It's easy to do, considering they are both respiratory illnesses and easily spread. Examining the spikes and low points of both are easy to do, especially since they follow the normal trajectory of a virus. I've seen so many articles pointing out similarities and differences, arguments about which is worse.

1918 Flu

COVID

Personally, I've had trouble spending any time studying the two. Up until very recently, I was still very angry about my own recovery, and before that terrified that my fiance would get sick and possibly die. I'll never forget those first few months of reports when every day we heard about some doctor or nurse dying. When he came home exhausted from a shift at the hospital, I would watch him breathe while he slept, as if I could keep him safe just by watching. I'm glad that time has passed.

Now with a little distance and a whole lot of antibodies (and no dead close family members), I can start to look at COVID a little differently, as the historic event that is unfolding right before us. Right now we're in the middle of the "unvaccinated" epidemic, but nearly every member of my family/friends are vaccinated. The fear is slowly passing, and I'm replacing that with careful curiosity. Expect to see some posts here and there about my findings.

Recently I took a closer look at The Camp Sherman News, particularly October 22, 1918. This periodical was published for training military members/townspeople in Chillicothe, Ohio, established in 1917 to train soldiers during World War I. It has all of the regular things you'd expect in a newspaper, like ads and illustrations. But it was some of the headlines that really rang true for me. I've screenshot a few just to show here.

The "42 Sacrificed Own Lives in Nursing Sick" hit me square in the gut, reminding me of the beginning of COVID. Those 42 medical staff included doctors and nurses, people who did everything in their power to save others. As of May 2021, WHO estimated that 115,000 healthcare workers have died worldwide from COVID, and we've had several months since that estimate. It's a sobering number, considering that many still deny that this virus even exists at all. 

I was also excited to see the dedication to the "Camp Laundry." It reminds me in the past year of how other industries have seen more attention because of their work. Most people tend to think of the laundry as a basic service, not important or noteworthy. And yet, with thousands of people dying, clean clothing and bedsheets are essential to keeping a sanitary environment. I think of how for the longest time people have ridiculed those working in the fast-food/service industries. Now with such a shortage, wages are creeping up and people are recognizing how important those workers truly are. 

I'm really hoping to see some legislative changes to help people as well.

The newspaper contains many other awesome little details that I'll weed through in future posts. In the meantime, keep wearing your mask and stay safe. Also, don't be a jerk to people in the service industry, they don't need your crap. 

~Kristen