Spanish flu and Covid-19

KARACHI: Though a lot of comparisons have been made between the Spanish flu, which emerged in 1918 killing more than 50 million people worldwide, and Covid-19, it is time to learn a lesson from the biggest pandemic that has ever occurred in our history.

When the Spanish flu emerged a lot of people considered it to be a normal flu as cases started to subside during the first wave. It gained the masses’ attention when it hit back with a severe second wave and killed thousands of young and healthy individuals. Today, some world leaders and international groups have assumed the Covid-19 virus to be a normal flu, and steps like restricting international travel or implementing lockdown measures were taken only when the situation got worse. During the Spanish flu pandemic, the lack of reliable testing facilities caused millions of people to die. The 20^th century technological boom has greatly helped in significantly developing medical facilities in the contemporary era, yet countries such as Pakistan, India, Mexico and Nigeria are still struggling with limited testing capacity. The biggest lesson lies in the fact that the Spanish flu completely transformed societies’ approach towards healthcare and science. Many countries like China, which did not believe in scientific methods, have since then embraced science to prevent future pandemics. Russia and the Western European Nations also approved of a socialised healthcare system.

As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to threaten the world, leaders must reassess their priorities and ensure access to free healthcare for all. We must not forget that a second wave of Covid-19 is highly likely since countries are now starting to ease lockdown measures. All necessary steps must be taken to nip the evil in the bud.

Nayab Iqbal

Published in The Express Tribune, June 23^rd, 2020.

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