It is said that history repeats itself, and this seems to apply to epidemics, at least according to Christopher McKnight Nicholas, a researcher at Oregon State University. Nicholas highlighted in an article published in the American newspaper "The Washington Post" the repercussions that the Spanish flu left on cities between 1918 and 1919, when business owners convinced government officials to drop mask mandates and close shops, comparing it to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that cities that maintained cautious practices during that era succeeded significantly in mitigating the flu that swept the world. He stated, "For historians, the similarities between the two cases are alarming," referring to practices from that era that are repeating themselves now, such as resisting lockdowns and challenging mask-wearing restrictions and types of penalties.
The American academic noted that as the second anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic approaches, fatigue has certainly spread through communities. Nevertheless, he emphasized that history teaches us that government officials must protect the public interest.
Nicholas observed similarities between the COVID-19 pandemic and the Spanish flu, both of which spread quickly among healthy young people. He remarked that the Spanish flu spread rapidly in 1918 among communities with a large military presence, against the backdrop of World War I.
He added that the situation is similar in the COVID-19 pandemic, with a difference in the type of gathering, as "COVID-19" spreads significantly, as seen at the University of Oregon. He said, "These infectious diseases are airborne, and we see that, you know, in colleges and universities."
Based on his studies, the American academic concluded that the Omicron variant may actually be an encouraging sign that the virus is moving toward becoming seasonal, which means that COVID-19 will remain but at a lower scale.
