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Department of History
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The Spanish Flu: A Precedent to Covid-19

Question
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Central Question:

How was the Spanish Flu similar to and different from the Covid-19 Pandemic?

Mask wearers during the Spanish Flu, circa 1918.
Mask wearers during the Spanish Flu, circa 1918.

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Anti-Mask Meeting

The San Francisco Chronicle advertises an Anti-mask meeting to protest against a recent mandate.
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Fort Douglas Quarantined

A Salt Lake Tribune article announcing that a military fort was quarantined because of the flu.
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Mask Mandate

A newspaper article about the recent legislation that made wearing masks mandatory.
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Salt Lake Ban Lifted

An article in the Salt Lake Telegram discussing the lifting of the flu ban.
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A Drastic Order

An article from the Salt Lake Telegram giving the parameters for the flu ban, including no public gatherings.
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The Improved Malted Milk

An ad in the Salt Lake Telegram that promotes malted milk as a cure for the Spanish Flu.
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Masked Shopper

An image of a woman wearing protective clothing while shopping to guard against the flu.
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Homes of Victims Placarded

The Salt Lake Tribune announces a new mandate, that all homes of people with the Spanish Flu need to have a sign outside their home, announcing the illness.
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Reopening Deferred

An article in the Salt Lake Tribune that discusses the reopening of schools and public gatherings, which was deferred until authorities could see how much the disease spread.
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Beware the Kiss!

A Salt Lake Tribune article urges people not to kiss each other, or be around others who are sneezing or coughing, to prevent the spread of the flu.
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Help Enforce Mask Wearing

A newspaper article discussing the rigid mandates of the quarantine order.
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Taking Temperature

An image of many women taking their temperatures.
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Disease at Apex

The Salt Lake Tribune declares that the flu is at its highest point, and will decrease from then on.
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Hospitals Being Prepared

A newspaper article that describes hospitals being prepared quickly, so they can accommodate all the sick people.
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Quarantine Not Enforced Here

A Salt Lake Telegram article writes that the Spanish Flu is spreading again.
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Red Cross

A statement by the head of the Red Cross, stating that the epidemic was worse than anything else in US history.
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Masked Students

An image of masked college students at Brigham Young University.
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So the People May Know

The Salt Lake Telegram describes the symptoms and treatments of the Spanish Flu to help people defend themselves against it.
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Raymond Foster

An obituary of a young man who died from the Spanish Flu.
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A Sure Way to Get a Seat

A comic from 1918 depicting how scared people were of catching the Spanish Flu.
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Football Postponed

The Salt Lake Tribune tells of football games that were cancelled because of a fear of the Spanish Flu.
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Hand the Flu a Lemon!

A Salt Lake Telegram article that promotes the use of lemons as a cure for the Spanish Flu.
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Home Study

The University of Utah announces their support for correspondence study, or sending in university assignments by mail.
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George's Story

The story of a Utah native who lost four members of his family to the Spanish Flu in one week.
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Eat More Onions

An informational ad promotes onions as a cure to the Spanish Flu.
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Nurses in Demand

A Salt Lake Telegram article announcing that flu nurses are in high demand.
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To Prevent Influenza

An informational ad describing how to protect against the Spanish Flu.
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You Must Wash Properly

A newspaper article promotes washing hands as a way to protect against the Spanish Flu.
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Flu Statistics

A newspaper article gives the number of total flu cases for Salt Lake City.
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Women are Losing Hair

A comic that shows a woman losing her hair from the flu.
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Lesson Plan Outline

Slide Deck

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