TAMPA, Fla. — During the spring of 1918 until mid-1919, the Spanish flu turned into a global pandemic, just like COVID-19. By November 1918, there was a second wave of the Spanish flu.
One thing we know about history is that it is likely to repeat itself.
Most stories about the 1918 pandemic usually focus on Philadelphia. In September 1918, the City of Brotherly Love refused to cancel its Liberty Loan Drive parade. More than 200,000 people celebrated along Broad Street. And within weeks, more than 10,000 people in Philadelphia died from the flu.
During that time, Tampa was the second-largest city in Florida with a population of about 50-thousand people. About 300 people in Tampa died from the flu.
“In a city of 50,000 people, that’s a pretty high percentage,” said Rodney Kite-Powell of Tampa Bay History Center.
Powell explained that many of the actions local leaders and health professionals put in place were very similar to what we see today during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“They advise you to wear masks. And when they talk about wearing masks, they talked about making sure you do it the right way,” he said.
Just like today, people lost their jobs. Stores were forced to either close or change their hours, and schools were closed. The major difference between the two pandemics, students didn’t have virtual learning.
“There was no formal attempt at educating schoolchildren at the time. There weren’t even radios at the time,” Powell explained.
Even photographs were limited. Powell said there aren’t many photos from the Spanish flu pandemic.
To make sure the COVID-19 pandemic is well documented and preserved, Tampa Bay History Center is asking residents to share their photos and videos with the history center. Visit the Tampa Bay History Center's website to learn how you can submit your piece of history.
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