Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic of 2019 will have a major negative impact on the world. Virtually no part of the globe will remain unaffected except in the most isolated locations. As at least one learned commentator has already recently opined that world history will now be divided into two major eras: B.C. and A.C.. There will unquestionably be many dramatic changes in all Tields of human endeavor. None of the changes bodes well at face value, but there might be some positive aspects once the pandemic is Tinally over. There is also no question now that the virus is moving much faster than the human effort being frantically waged to contain it. This virus is not a new phenomenon. There have been almost annual virus outbreaks from Asia, like the Hong Kong Tlu, Swine Tlu and SARS over the decades. Also viral outbreaks have occasionally originated in Africa, like the Ebola virus. However, there is no question that mankind was not prepared for this quickly spreading, highly contagious viral infection. Several commentators have immediately drawn similar comparisons with the last major historical virus outbreak that devastated the world over one hundred years ago: The global “Spanish Flu” pandemic. It would be helpful if a brief historical review was accomplished of the important events that led to the pandemic and what efforts were taken at the time to contain it. Although medical advances have been very impressive over the past century, the public health tools and medical procedures used to contain and control virus outbreaks has not advanced with as much modern innovation. Isolation and quarantine, face masks and ventilators, social isolation and disinfectants are being used exactly as they were back in 1918. Introduct.