Precautions work, whether in 1918 or 2020

By Mimi Larsen Staff Writer

A look at the map of current, known cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. shows just how mobile a society we are. As of March 25, every single state had positive cases of the disease, with South Dakota having the fewest, at 30. It is mobility that has helped the newest coronavirus to march across the globe, and it was the intense mobility of WWI troops that fed the worstever pandemic, the Spanish Flu, in 1918. Both pandemics point to the wisdom of preventive measures today.

Just over 100 years ago, the understanding of hygiene wasn’t as refined as it is today. Germ theory was in its infancy, and antibiotics hadn’t yet been invented. Communal drinking cups and towels were common at home and in public, and many families still used the same bath water.

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