Here at the Center for the History of Medicine we are immensely proud of the work we have done on the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic and the use of non-pharmaceutical interventions – the social distancing measures of which we have all become accustomed – implemented then to help mitigate the worst impacts of the pandemic.  Working Read more

Recently, the news and documentary film company Newsy interviewed Dr. Navarro about the lessons of 1918 and what happened a century ago when cities ended their social distancing measures too soon.  Watch the video here: https://www.newsy.com/stories/denver-s-double-hump-warns-of-ending-quarantine-too-soon/

As part of a webinar series, the National Academy of Medicine and the American Public Health Association hosted presentations on the COVID-19 pandemic.  Dr. Markel presented on “The Historical Perspective on Social Distancing.” Webinar: The Science of Social Distancing (NAM-APHA “COVID-19 Conversations” Series #1) Watch the webinar here.

Business Insider recently interviewed Dr. Navarro on the ways in which today’s COVID-19 pandemic compares to the deadly 1918 influenza pandemic.  Read the story below. “11 Ways the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic is Eerily Similar to the 1918 Influenza Outbreak”

Until the recent COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans were unaware of the federalist structure of public health in the United States.  Dr. Navarro spoke to the Los Angeles Times about this issue. “Coronavirus is America’s Common Enemy, But the States Aren’t Fighting as a Team”

In 1918, during the midst of the deadly fall wave of the great influenza pandemic, many Americans looked to masks as a way to protect themselves from infection.  Dr. Markel takes a look back at how masks and mandatory masking orders in 1918, and how examines the issues with mask use today. NBC News: “Coronavirus Read more

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, Dr. Markel has been increasingly called on by media outlets to provide some historical perspective on epidemics and how societies react to them.  Below are  links to the latest news stories: Christian Science Monitor: “COVID-19 models vary widely.  What that means for leaders under pressure” NBC News: “Coronavirus Read more

As cases of Covid-19 spread across the nation, some on social media began calling for a closure f the Mackinac Bridge in order to prevent the entry of the disease into Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  Bridge contacted Drs. Markel and Navarro to see what lessons could be learned from so-called “escape communities” during the 1918 influenza Read more

Eager to glean whatever lessons can be learned from the nation’s experience with the 1918 influenza pandemic, NPR reached out to Dr. Navarro to speak with him about what some rural communities did in 1918 to help mitigate the effects of the deadly pandemic.  Read and listen to the story on the NPR website: https://www.npr.org/2020/03/13/814917520/rural-towns-insulated-from-coronavirus-now-may-take-a-harder-hit-later

As cases of Covid-19 continue to increase across the United States and the world, the U-M Center for the History of Medicine has been asked to provide historical context for the various social distancing and community mitigation strategies that have been implemented.  Below is a list of new stories featuring the Center’s Director, Dr. Howard Read more