In the past 6 months, I’ve often heard the idea that the world has entered “unprecedented” times during the COVID-19 pandemic. On multiple occasions during the uncertainty of our current times, I’ve found great comfort in my history research for my historical fiction novel. Have the past 6 months been tumultuous? Absolutely! Are they “unprecedented”? Not really. History has a way of repeating itself. The ingredients are different, but much of the human experience is the same. I find great comfort in this truth. Over the past 6 months, my soul has ached deeply over the state of the world. The uncertainty of the novel coronavirus. The economic shutdown. The political polarization. Racial tensions and unrest. Fear. Anger. Hate. Suffering. (Yes, this is a subtle Star Wars reference. It’s just too fitting.)
So what do you do when the world seems to be going crazy? First, I pray. I weep. And I pray some more. Then, I study history. What I found was surprisingly comforting.
“There is nothing new under the sun.”
The wisest of all wise men, King Solomon, said it best in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.“
When we study history, we are no longer surprised by the human experience and their subsequent behaviors. They’re actually quite expected and predictable. I’m researching America during World War I for my historical fiction novel. Talk about a tumultuous time! In the midst of a world war was the outbreak of a deadly influenza, the Spanish flu that killed an estimated 20-50 million worldwide. The ingredients are extremely different, but the human experience is strikingly similar to today.
Initial Indifference
The 1918 Spanish flu is not the same as the COVID-19 outbreak. This is for certain. One is influenza and one is a coronavirus. This difference is not to be taken lightly. History cannot be used to predict the future.
What I find fascinating is the human experience around the pandemics. Initially, it was very hard to recognize how much impact the spread would have on people. In spite of devastating reports about the rate of infection and death rates, the initial reaction was one of largely indifference and denial. The Milwaukee Health commissioner in 1918 stated in September, “No one should be scared by the term ‘Spanish’ influenza for it is the same old influenza.” The initial reaction to COVID-19 was very similar. In hindsight, it was clear this was not just any coronavirus, but in the moment, it is hard to not default to the best-case scenario. It is only after the evidence was overwhelmingly clear that pushed governments to drastic action. Expected behavior, not unprecedented.
Rumors Abound
It is easy to get caught up in the world of social media. Conspiracy and rumors can spread like wildfire. Negativity and fear are addicting. They draw us in and grab our attention. These fears can lead to conjecture about what is really happening in the world. Luckily, history has something to share with us. This too is a normal human reaction to uncertainty.
During World War I, you would not be surprised to learn that people were very paranoid. The United States and its allies were fighting Germany and its allies. Milwaukee, still known for its German beer, had a large German population. Many were recent immigrants or had family still living in Germany. It was not uncommon for German-Wisconsin citizens to have relatives fighting for Germany. This seeming conflict of interest led to substantial discrimitation and harmful accusations. It was very damaging to German-Americans, but the fears of traitorous activity turned out to be highly unwarranted. The overwhelming majority of German-Americans either actively helped the war effort or did little more than express anti-war sentiment.
One rumor led people to believe that German spies were slipping shards of glass into canned vegetables. The hysteria grew to such levels that an organized effort was made to search canned goods for shards of glass. None were ever found.
A Biological Weapon or An Expected Inevitability
During the outbreak of the Spanish flu pandemic, rumors circulated whether the influenza was a biological weapon from the Germans. It was said to not panic whether “he fight a German or a Germ.” Many believed a German submarine off the coast of America brought the flu. In hindsight, this “Spanish” flu likely didn’t start in Germany or Spain. The first known case was actually at a military base in Kansas. No one knows for sure where the flu actually began.
This experience certainly reminds us of 2020. The rumors that China released the coronavirus as a biological weapon. Rumors of where and how it began are plentiful. In reality, we will likely NEVER know exactly how COVID-19 began. This is not because of Chinese propaganda or government disinformation, but because the very nature of a pandemic is that the enemy is virtually invisible. We live in a globally interconnected world. A pandemic is not unprecedented, it’s expected. We only need to look at history to understand that reality.
Economic Shutdown
The economic shutdowns that happened in March 2020 was quite an adjustment. It definitely tugged emotions in a variety of directions. Why are some workers essential and not others? Is it worth the economic fallout it will cause? It is not the scope of this blog to answer these questions, but as a passive observer, it is comforting to know that this too was experienced by thousands in Milwaukee in 1918. The entertainment industry was especially hit hard. Dance and billiard halls, stage theaters, bowling alleys, and other retail establishments were forced to close their doors in October 1918. This cost these industries the equivalent of $17 million in 2020 dollars in Milwaukee alone.
The closing of businesses led thousands to search for temporary work and seek financial support from organizations like the Red Cross. The war effort helped many find factory work, but some actors and actresses were considered “unfit for other employment” and never found another job. Many companies were unwilling to hire people they knew would quit as soon as the shutdown was lifted.
The combination of fuel conservation efforts for the war and the shutdown of businesses, schools, and churches led to an eerie silence on the streets especially on Sundays. One girl wrote of her daily activities, “Read and knit all day.” One headline read, “ City Again Has ‘Joyless’ Days: Closing of Theaters and Dances Puts ‘Wreck’ in Recreation.”
Hospital Chaos
It was certainly alarming to hear the stories of chaos in the hospital system during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hospitals scrambled for protective equipment, respirators, and additional beds. Hospitals in hotspots like New York City were ill-prepared for such a large influx of patients.
The chaos of 1918 was even starker. The hospital system was much different than it is today. It was still quite common for doctors to make house calls for minor health issues. This meant that the hospitals were reserved for more severe cases that required hospitalizations. During the pandemic, doctors and nurses no longer wanted to make house calls due to fear of spreading the flu. The dramatic increase of severe flu-related health issues meant hospitals needed to expand rapidly. The combination of the war and deadly flu left the small hospital system in incredible strain.
School Closings
The various schools closing during 2020 are well-documented. Many were able to conduct virtual learning while others had more independent learning. The new school year has already resulted in some schools needing to open and then close because of an outbreak.
The public and parochial schools of Milwaukee closed in 1918 starting on October 14th. This closure involved all schools except the Normal School of Milwaukee. Classes were still held, but everyone was required to have their temperature taken everyday. The Milwaukee School Superintendent positively hoped students would “find pleasure and profit in reading and playing during this little vacation.”
The Right to Lick and Spit
We learned in March that licking produce and door handles as a prank during a pandemic will make the headlines and even lead to arrests. In 1918, city’s felt the need to implement spitting ordinances to curb the spread of influenza. It seems obvious not to lick produce in grocery stores or spit in public during a flu outbreak, but the 6 men arrested in Milwaukee for spitting on the first day of the city ordinance would tell you otherwise. These anti-spitting ordinances were quite common and some even remain in the law after all these years.
An Odd Sense of Comfort
Seeing the parallels between 1918 and 2020 gave me an odd sense of comfort. The uncertainty is unsettling, but knowing that we are not the first humans to experience such a range of emotions certainly helps. It also reminds us of certain truths. The human experience is never simple, but similar experiences are shared across generations. History tells us to expect the unexpected. Uncertainty is normal. To be human is to struggle, be resilient, and find joy in even the worst of times.
Most of all I think this all can show us to have some empathy with the world and each other. Give each other some grace. In an imperfect world with imperfect people, the next pandemic will also be expected and unavoidable at the same time. This may be unsettling, but this lack of control is part of what makes us human. Find joy in being human and leave the rest up to the all-knowing, all-loving Lord. Go ahead and pray about it, too.