The expression "History repeats itself" is interesting but somewhat
inaccurate. Events are never a carbon copy of history; there will
always be some differences; however, as Mark Twain said, "History
doesn't repeat itself, but it does rhyme." Therefore, we must pay
close attention to this rhyming to learn from past events. Using the
lens of history allows us to understand similar situations and use that
knowledge to solve current issues. This also applies to wellness.
Looking at wellness issues through a historical lens is a valuable tool.
I feel the most important event at this time is the COVID 19
pandemic and associated lockdowns. This event has a historical
counterpart in the Spanish flu, which devastated the world in
1918/19. Although there are many differences between both
pandemics, there are also many similarities.
In the 1918 pandemic, younger people were more severely affected,
whereas the reverse was generally true of COVID. According to
Amrit Sivastra, a senior scientist for Pfizer, one reason for this could
be the lockdowns enacted during COVID. During the Spanish flu,
many young men were returning from the war, crushed into barracks
and troop ships. Of course, conditions such as this are breeding
grounds for disease. As our populations attempted to do the
opposite and avoid contact with others, the impact was lessened
(Pfizer). A lesson learned? Mask wearing and social distancing is
another issue that has a counterpart in 1918. As with COVID, health
experts in 1918 urged populations to wear masks, and as we have
seen recently some sections of the 1918 population fought against
the idea. In both pandemics evidence shows that these measures
reduced the growth rate of the viruses (Courtemanch et al.).
COVID and wellness are strange bedfellows but they are linked.
COVID forced us to have an excess of "me time" we were literally
locked in our houses and in our own heads. We had to find ways to
cope. Thankfully, many of us had access to the internet and this
allowed us to find coping skills, however, our mental health took a
beating. There has been little research into the mental health issues
caused by the Spanish flu, one researcher, Svenn-Erik Mamelund,
PhD.
Looked at asylum hospitalizations in Norway from 1872 to
1929. He found that "the number of first-time hospitalized patients
with mental disorders attributed to influenza increased by an average
annual factor of 7.2 in the 6 years following the pandemic". He also
discovered that "Spanish flu survivors reported sleep disturbances,
depression, mental distraction, dizziness, and difficulties coping at
work, and that influenza death rates in the United States during the
years 1918-1920 significantly and positively related to suicide"
(Mamelund).
All of this got me thinking about my own COVID wellness. I did think
that I coped reasonably well during the past few years but I am still
wearing my mask in public indoor spaces, despite there no longer
being a mandate. I suppose this means that I have some residual
fears about catching COVID. Even though I am triple vaccinated and
am at little risk of serious illness or death, I still have a fear. I dont
know when this will go, it would be useful to look at other pandemics
to see how long before fears subsided completely.
Looking at events through a historical lens is crucial to my
professional life. I am in the midst of writing a novel which has
parallel time lines, 1967 and 2017. Looking at the history of my
subject and finding present day comparisons has been fascinating.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019) History of
1918 Flu Pandemic. Retrieved July 11th,
2022 https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/1918-
commemoration/1918-pandemic-history.htm
.
Pfizer.com (2022),Retrospect and Context: One Scientist's Thoughts on
Comparing COVID-19 to the 1918 Flu Pandemic, retrieved July 11th,
2022
https://www.pfizer.com/news/articles/
retrospect_and_context_one_scientist_s_thoughts_on_comparing_co
vid_19_to_the_1918_flu_pandemic
Courtemanche, C. Garuccio, J. Le, A. Pinkston, J. Yelowitz, A.
(2020) Strong Social Distancing Measures In The United States Reduced
The COVID-19 Growth Rate, Health Affairs. 39, NO. 7
Mamelund SE. Effects of the Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918-19 on
Later Life Mortality of Norwegian Cohorts Born About 1900. Working
Paper., October 2003. Retrieved 10th July
2022, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5097223_Effects_
of_the_Spanish_Influenza_Pandemic_of_1918-
19_on_Later_Life_Mortality_of_Norwegian_Cohorts_Born_About_19
00
.
