Political Accountability and the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Posted on by Yuri M. Zhukov

By Yuri M. Zhukov and Jacob Walden When the 1918 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic hit San Francisco and Philadelphia, a tale of two cities emerged in the response of political actors. San Francisco's mayor ordered an island in the bay quarantined; streets, streetcars, and public phones disinfected; shops, churches, and public spaces closed. Plainclothes police … Continue reading Political Accountability and the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Pandemics Are Political

Posted on by Alexandra Cirone

Pandemics provide a compelling opportunity to learn from the past. Massive disease outbreaks are a recurrent feature of human history and, despite advances in medicine and general understanding, still pose significant risks to society. This is why so many parallels are now being drawn between the Influenza Pandemic of 1918 -19 and the COVID-19 crisis … Continue reading Pandemics Are Political