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Flu Historian Warns COVID-19 Pandemic Could Be Much Worse Than 1918

Published July 21, 2020 at 12:40 PM CDT
In this October 1918 photo made available by the Library of Congress, St. Louis Red Cross Motor Corps personnel wear masks as they hold stretchers next to ambulances in preparation for victims of the influenza epidemic. (Library of Congress via AP)
In this October 1918 photo made available by the Library of Congress, St. Louis Red Cross Motor Corps personnel wear masks as they hold stretchers next to ambulances in preparation for victims of the influenza epidemic. (Library of Congress via AP)

Historian John Barry wrote a famous book about the 1918 flu pandemic called “The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Plague in History.”

Now, he’s warning that the current coronavirus pandemic could get much much worse without more serious actions now.

Here & Now’s Robin Young speaks with Barry about comparisons between 1918 and 2020, and what needs to be done to stop the spread of COVID-19.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

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