BY TAN MIN MIN
HERE is a book, a non-fiction about the flu pandemic of 1918 in the US by John M. Barry, a professor at the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
It was recommended by Bill Gates in his blog GatesNotes.
[ihc-hide-content ihc_mb_type=”show” ihc_mb_who=”2,3,5″ ihc_mb_template=”1″ ]Unlike the current COVID-19 pandemic which afflicts the elderly more, the 1918 flu killed many of the healthy 20-40-year-olds. The mobilization of young men for World War I and the refusal of military leadership to stop troop transport helped spread the virus rapidly across the world. The 1918 flu is one of the most deadliest pandemics; it killed around 50-100 million people (equivalent to 220-430 million today).
I read this book, a New York Times bestseller first published in 2004 by Penguin Random House during the beginning of the movement control order in Malaysia and some of the events described in the book are eerily similar to those happening now. The 1918 flu was highly contagious and there was no treatment available. Politicians were denying the spread of the disease and downplaying the effects of the pandemic. Social relationships were down because people were scared to touch each other. Public gatherings were banned but some churches defied the ban and had their services outdoors. The black-and-white photos in the book reflect similar scenarios as of the current COVID-19 pandemic – people everywhere wearing masks, silent streets except the presence of street sweepers, quarantine centres with rows and rows of beds.
I wonder how did people cope with the pandemic in 1918-1920? There was no Internet, hence no video calling of loved ones, no Grabfood or Foodpanda for food delivery, no social media to kill time or to find information about the pandemic. Unlike the 1918 flu, now we have better tools and more resources to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, similarly to the 1918 flu, we also have stubborn politicians and people defying social distancing norms.
This book, described by the Chicago Tribune as “monumental, an authoritative and disturbing morality tale” is a fascinating read; I gave it 5 stars in Goodreads. I enjoyed reading about the history of medicine in the US and the scientific (and political?) quest to find the source of the flu. Highly recommended!
NOTE: Tan Min Min, PhD in Public Health is a public health research fellow at South East Asia Community Observatory (SEACO), a health and demographic surveillance system established by Monash University and located at Segamat, Johor. Her research interest includes the psycho-social determinants of health. Her current project examines the relationship between religion, spirituality and physical and mental health among older adult in SEACO. Connect with Min Min on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook (@drminmintan) or LinkedIn. [/ihc-hide-content]
