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We Should Learn From the 1918 Flu
A lesson from Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh’s experience during the 1918 flu offers a cautionary tale for the coronavirus pandemic. This is what Eric Jaffe, the editorial director of Sidewalk Talk, a publication about the future of cities, warns in a recent story:
Motivated largely by political factors and local business interests, Pittsburgh leaders pushed for an end to its gathering ban before the state health department believed it was safe to do so, according to multiple histories of that period. Following that move, Pittsburgh suffered severe case flare-ups, contributing to what ended up as the worst rate of “excess” deaths (beyond a typical flu season) among American cities: 807 per 100,000 people.
What’s more, Pittsburgh’s early release didn’t lead to brighter economic trends, according to new research linking stricter — and longer — social distancing measures with more manufacturing employment and banking assets.
The story speaks to the risks of lifting lockdown orders too early—which is an ongoing conversation among political and public health leaders. Read the full story below.
