As a credentialed Health Science teacher, I started asking questions in the early spring of 2020 about the history of pandemics. Why? Because the media and politicians were not saying anything about pandemic history and how previous pandemics were managed. What happened during the 1918 influenza and other pandemics? I did not want to know–I HAD TO KNOW. This compelled me to do a deep dive into the 1918 history and the recommendations that have emerged from epidemiological research done on the 1918 influenza epidemic and those that followed. I started doing daily Facebook live reports on the 1918 pandemic history last summer. What has happened with the Covid-19 pandemic defies history. NO previous pandemic ever locked down and restricted people so long, yet the death rates for 1918 were significantly higher than Covid in 2020-2021. Current policies are not lining up with pandemic history. These are my sources.
Primary References: I found these sources to be mandatory to understanding pandemic history, pandemic recommendations, and to monitor the most important statistic for pandemics which is the actual Death Rate per 100,000 population.
- www.InfluenzaArchive.org (CDC, University of Michigan)
- 50 US cities over 100,000 in population were studied and reviewed. *In 1918, the average length of lockdowns for these cities was around 3-6 weeks, and the average death rate was 550/100,000 population.
- 1918 City Summaries by Ron Jones:
- Pandemic Influenza: Past, Present, Future (CDC, HHS)
- This 2006 conference presented the history findings of 1918 along with recommendations for future pandemics. Masks were never mentioned as interventions for future pandemics.
- Nonpharmaceutical Interventions Implemented by US Cities During the 1918-1919 Influenza Pandemic (JAMA)
- Death Rates by Country (Johns Hopkins University & Medicine)
- Death Rates by US State (Statista)
- US COVID-19 Data Tracker (CDC)
Secondary References: These were necessary in order to provide public education on pandemic history and to better understand mask science and political issues.
- SPARS Pandemic Scenario (Johns Hopkins University & Medicine)
- Predominant Role of Bacterial Pneumonia as a Cause of Death in Pandemic Influenza: Implications for Pandemic Influenza Preparedness (The Journal of Infectious Diseases)
- Testing the Efficacy of Homemade Masks: Would They Protect in an Influenza Pandemic? (National Center for Biotechnology Information)
- How to use ventilation and air filtration to prevent the spread of coronavirus indoors (Shelly Miller, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder)
- 1918 Influenza: The Mother of All Pandemics (Emerging Infectious Diseases, CDC)
- The 1918-1919 influenza pandemic in England and Wales: spatial patterns in transmissibility and mortality impact (Proceedings of The Royal Society)
Radio Show/Podcasts Guest Appearances by Ron Jones on Pandemic History:
- Back to School: A History Lesson From the 1918 Pandemic (The Bob Zadek Show & Charlie Deist)
- The Corruption of the CDC (The Free Speech Hour & Charlie Deist)
I hope you find the historical references valuable. There is a lot of information in the media, yet there is virtually nothing in the current news about the history of pandemics and how the lockdown periods compared to 2020-2021. I have researched a great deal more than listed above, but just going over my primary references will change your perspective and give you a new insight beyond what you are being told by the current politicians, media, and even medical professionals.
Ron Jones, MS, Historical Kinesiologist, Physical & Health Science Educator