1918 pandemic vs 2020 pandemic

So, when I come to grips with the fact that I’m living through yet another historical event I wish I had no part of, I look to history for answers. Because where else would I look? The news networks that make it sound like everyone’s dropping dead from the plague? The government, who could not give two shits if all us poor people died? I don’t think so.

I would like to do a small compare and contrast the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 to the 2019-2020 COVID-19 pandemic.

Oh, fun fact: It wasn’t called the “Spanish flu” because it originated in Spain. The U.K, U.S., France, and Germany “minimized” (read: censored or hid) early reports of the virus to “keep up morale” as World War I was coming to an end. Spain was neutral, and accurately reported on how the virus was affecting them, which lead the rest of the world to believe Spain was the epicenter.

Anyways, like COVID-19, the origins of the Spanish flu were unclear. The flu was spread from person to person by sneezing and coughing or touching your face. For the first few months, the U.S. government failed to take action. 

Symptoms of the Spanish flu include chills, fever, and fatigue, meanwhile symptoms of COVID-19 include shortness of breath, fever, and fatigue.  Like COVID-19, no one was safe from the Spanish flu. Not young people, not children, not old people. No one.  Estimates on how many people died from the Spanish flu range from 17 million to 100 million.

Unlike COVID-19, the epicenter of the Spanish flu in the United States was Philadelphia, not New York City. Ironically, New York City in 1918 acted fast and had the lowest death rate on the Eastern Seaboard. It’s a shame they are worse off in 2020.

The first case detected in Philadelphia in September 1918 told us that the virus was rapidly spreading. City officials warned everyone against sneezing, coughing, and spitting in public. 10 days later, the city held a massive parade with over 200,000 people in attendance. 

If you live in the U.S., this may sound familiar, as New Orleans hosted its annual Mardi Gras parade this year, with about 1.4 million people in attendance, despite the fact that a pandemic was just over the horizon.

In October of 1918, just one month after everyone realized shit was hitting the fan, schools, churches, theaters, restaurants, and public gatherings were shut down, and everyone was ordered to social distance or self quarantine if sick. Business remained opened during limited hours or shut down completely. If you went outside, you practiced social distancing and wore a face mask, or you were fined/jailed.

So, where am I going with all this?

The Spanish flu pandemic started in the spring 1918. The first wave brought on many deaths, but the symptoms were mild. In fall of that year, there was a second, deadlier wave where victims died much quicker from respiratory problems. Then, by the end of the year, the virus almost completely disappeared. But for at least six months, people were dying of this horrible disease. 

It’s my hope that modern technology and science will hasten the end of this pandemic so we’re not social distancing for six months, or even an entire year, but, as you can see, we haven’t learned from the past, so that may be too much to ask. My advice to anyone reading this would be to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. 

Don’t let your guard down early, and especially don’t listen to any orange faced fat cat who says we should be back to work by Easter. In 1918, St. Louis was so emboldened by its low death rate that the city lifted restrictions on public gatherings less than two months after the outbreak began, leading to a second, deadlier wave of the Spanish flu. 

Be safe. Especially those of you who are more likely to be targeted for police brutality. There is no telling what police will do in states that are on lock down. In San Francisco in 1918, police shot three people when one refused to wear a face mask while outside.

Stay home. History shows us that social distancing and self-isolation/quarantine are key to stopping these pandemics.

He’s offering $2k PER ADULT not per household and $1k for everyone below 18

enough primaries remain to get him nominated, please if you are in a state then campaign, if not contact people you know that are.

Bernie’s campaign suspended direct fundraising activities yesterday. Instead, they are asking supporters to donate to Meals on Wheels, No Kid Hungry, Restaurant Workers’ Community Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, One Fair Wage Emergency Fund, and the National Domestic Workers Alliance:

Living in Missouri, I’m particularly frustrated by the singular and specific lack of leadership form state & local government (I know, I know. I vote, but I’m outnumbered here), and it is strikingly apparent to me that the only clear and decisive leadership we’re seeing on the national stage is here, from Bernie Sanders. Nothing is decided.

Lemme say this louder for the people in the back:

Bernie Sanders is not accepting donations to his campaign for president and is instead asking us to donate to non-profits directly supporting the health and economic crisis caused by COVID-19.

why don't straights understand that the sweet considerateness and tenderness of a first kiss starting with "can I kiss you?" far outweighs the 'passion' of someone just doing it without asking

Tea is hot

Nothing but the truth💯

This blog does not support any war in Iran or Trump’s actions to incite it.

People are going to die because Trump wanted to distract people from the impeachment and election. He killed someone on foreign land and is inciting violence and death.

Thread on the Trump situation in Iran.

“For as bad as it looks to you all on the outside, it's even worse when you see it from the inside."

I thought this tweet was worth sharing.

My brother decided to teach his two and a half year old that Mommy and Daddy have names and there is nothing funnier than seeing a cranky toddler turn to his mom and say ‘leave me alone, Meredith.’

my psychology professor be like “I don’t believe in nonbinary genders” and five minutes later refers to me as he, then she, then just by my name because it’s become increasingly clear that neither of those are correct even though I am not out in this class

dr [redacted]: I don’t believe in nonbinary genders

dr [redacted]: except for that fucker I have no idea what they’ve got going on

I can’t wait for the day a woman’s strength isn’t dictated by how much abuse she can endure

SLAMS REBLOG BUTTON

the real allies

I think about this every day

certified iconic post

Make it a good one, kids.

the tenderness…. 

the whole quote is very heartwarming:

“And we are not the only animal that has to teach our young. Old lobsters show their migration routes to young ones by holding claws, the way we hold hands, and walking the long miles together. A kitten without a mother to teach her may not ever learn to hunt small mammals. Such cats will let mice run all over them—though once they are shown, they never forget. A bee coming home from her first pollen run will be stroked all over by the other bees in praise and encouragement, even though she’s probably carrying only one-tenth of what she will learn to in a few weeks. Beavers held in captivity without flowing water don’t know how to make dams—that knowledge was passed down through the generations until humans interrupted their process of enculturation.”

A New History of Fandom Purges

On November 24th, 2018, I posted a list of major deletions of sites or of content on sites that stripped fandom of its history. A bunch of pro-shipper blogs had just been deleted, and people were nervous. I suppose I was thinking “All this has happened before…”

On December 3rd, 2018, Tumblr’s Department of Irony announced the NSFW ban. Thanks for providing this salutary lesson to The Youth and a billion reblogs to me, I guess.

Today, we have AO3 for writing. Audio, images, and video are in as much danger as ever, yet fans attack AO3 every donation drive. For those of you who forget our past…

HERE IS WHAT HISTORY HAS TAUGHT US!

This is only a small taste of the many times that:

It’s not always malicious. It’s not always about us. But we lose every time.

Some of these purges hit everyone. Many of them hit m/m content specifically or female gaze-y material in general. This is why antis are dead wrong. This is why anti-fujoshi policies end up being anti-m/m policies. This is why we need clear labeling, not content restrictions.

This is why we need AO3.

And it’s why we need a solution for audio, visuals, and video too.

So grateful for the historical memory and the long view on a phenomenon many of us have come to late, and/or take for granted.

And this is why AO3 generates twice its goal amount in just a few days: they are irreplaceable.

Updated for 2019 ^^

(There, now it’s really updated for 2019. ;__;)

Happy new year’s, everyone. Hoping your next chapter holds happiness, peace, and love 💕💕

we are leaving naruto in the previous decade and that stings

very excited to destroy my glasses at midnight since I’ll finally have 2020 vision aha

Happy New Year!!!

wait why can’t I see