What the 1918 flu pandemic tells us about whether social distancing works | Nancy K Bristow

As the world sees armed protesters in the United States demanding an end to “shelter-in-place” orders, reads stories of shopping malls in Brazil reopening as their president joins anti-lockdown protests, and hears laissez-faire voices call for their governments to “ease” restrictions as soon as possible, we might do well to look back at parallel moments in history. In recent days, striking images of scientific charts from the 1918 influenza pandemic have been making the rounds on social media. Though these hand-drawn diagrams may look archaic to our eyes, they offer a clear rebuke to those moving too quickly to step away from the public health restrictions so many around the world are currently enduring.