How the first modern pandemic hit key workers first

The 1889 outbreak of influenza was first reported in the Russian city of Petropavlovsk in September of that year. Within a few weeks it had spread throughout Russia, and by early November it had appeared in most European capital cities. In mid-November it appeared in the UK, spreading rapidly in London and other large towns […]

How the Deadliest Pandemic in Modern History Prepared Us for Coronavirus

As fears surrounding the current coronavirus outbreak continue to spread around the world, historians and public health officials are drawing comparisons to another deadly global health emergency. For the past century, experts have considered the 1918 influenza pandemic, colloquially known as the “Spanish flu,” as the benchmark for pandemics. Control efforts developed in the wake […]