Pandemics5 Ways the World Is Better Off Dealing with a Pandemic Now Than in 1918

By Siddharth Chandra and Eva Kassens-Noor

Published 19 June 2020

Near the end of the First World War, a deadly flu raced across the globe. The influenza pandemic became the most severe pandemic in recent history, infecting about one-third of the world’s population between 1918 and 1920 and killing between 50 and 100 million people. It was caused by an H1N1 virus that originated in birds and mutated to infect humans. Now a century later the world is amidst another global pandemic caused by a zoonotic disease that “jumped” from wildlife to people, a novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. If managed competently, this fight may turn out differently, resulting in lower rates of infection and mortality and, possibly, fewer deaths.

Near the end of the First World War, a deadly flu raced across the globe. The influenza pandemic became the most severe pandemic in recent history, infecting about one-third of the world’s population between 1918 and 1920 and killing between 50 and 100 million people. It was caused by an H1N1 virus that originated in birds and mutated to infect humans.

Now a century later the world is amidst another global pandemic caused by a zoonotic disease that “jumped” from wildlife to people, a novel coronavirus known as SARS-CoV-2. While we do not want in any way to diminish the hundreds of thousands of personal tragedies caused by this virus, we see reasons to be optimistic. If managed competently, this fight may turn out differently, resulting in lower rates of infection and mortality and, possibly, fewer deaths.

We are part of a team of social scientists that span the fields of epidemiology, geography, history, urban planning and Asian studies who have studied how the influenza pandemic played out in Asia, an understudied region where the largest number of people died. There have been vast advancements in communications, science and medicine over the past 100 years, which may create a better outcome in today’s pandemic.

Communication
A hundred years of innovation in communication has dramatically changed our ability to quickly exchange vital data. Back in 1918, early phone lines were still being laid, and in many places the telegraph was the only way to communicate. Public information came mainly from daily newspapers or was spread by word of mouth. It was difficult to share information about the new disease, its most common symptoms and the populations at greatest risk – or alert people about what was coming their way. There were no coordinated pandemic response plans in place.

By contrast, the world has been able to track this epidemic in real time, and scientists have quickly identified those most at risk of adverse outcomes: seniors and those with compromised immunity or preexisting conditions such as asthma, diabetes, lung disease or serious heart conditions. Armed with knowledge, countries that tested extensively, implemented effective contact tracing and enacted strong national lockdown and social distancing policies have “flattened the curve” of infections and deaths.

Rapid dissemination of research on this novel virus has alerted doctors to serious symptoms, including its ability to trigger blood clots and strokes as well as symptoms similar to Kawasaki Syndrome in young children – important information for assessment and treatment of patients.