Like COVID-19, the 1918 influenza pandemic hit hard and fast, going from a handful of reported cases in a few cities to a nationwide outbreak within a few weeks. Many communities issued several rounds of various closure orders in an attempt to keep the disease in check. While a century separates these pandemics, there is a multitude of significant parallels between them.
COVID-19
As the 1918 influenza pandemic circled the globe, U-M Medical School Dean Victor Vaughan was called in to help unravel the mystery of the deadly illness.
1918 flu
The University of Michigan played a special role in the fight against polio for many decades, from the treatment of its effects to the massive clinical trial that led to the first approved vaccine.
public health
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many parallels have been drawn between this pandemic and the Great Influenza of the early 20th century. Using the 1918-19 findings from the Center for the History of Medicine, the Center for Disease Control incorporated plans to “flatten the curve” of COVID-19.
epidemic
An unfamiliar strain of influenza reached Ann Arbor some time in the final days of September 1918. The early symptoms felt like a common cold plus “more marked irritation of the mucous membrane of the nose, mouth, and throat.” By October 1, 10 men and two women in their 20s and 30s, none of them University of Michigan students, had been hospitalized.
Michigan in the World
U-M scientist Thomas Francis broke new ground in the fight against influenza with his work on the first flu shot.
public health
Scientist and educator Pearl Kendrick was a lecturer in the Department of Epidemiology at U-M and changed the landscape of infectious disease to save countless lives.
public health