OSU Professor Hosting “Pandemic Exhaustion” Virtual Event
An OSU history professor thinks our current pandemic moment is very similar to another, and he’s putting on a special event, to focus on how to NOT make the same mistakes.
“Flu masks will not be worn in Portland. There has been such a decided decrease in the number of cases.”
Those are the words from a proclamation, but not from this week. From the flu pandemic of 1918.
“1918 into 1919, felt very much as it unfolded, like our current moment. Right now, fatigue, exhaustion with the pandemic. People throwing up their hands and saying I’m done with this, ” says Dr. Christopher McKnight Nichols. “And then the virus saying, well, I’m not done with you. And having other surges and infections and deaths.”
He says the problem is, those giving up are often those most at risk. “Those people are much more likely to get very sick. And overwhelm our hospitals.”
He is presenting a virtual event on Pandemic Exhaustion, coming up Thursday, February 24th at 6 P.M. He hopes educators, community leaders and politicians join him for the discussion. “It would be great for pretty much anyone living through this pandemic, let’s be honest,” said Nichols. “I’d love it if a few politicians tuned in, so they could think a little bit with me, about how politicians and leaders, and the business community in 1918 and 1919, were either a big part of the solution to the late stages of the pandemic, or frankly exacerbated some of the problems.”
To sign up for the February 24th, 6pm Pandemic Exhaustion remote event, co-sponsored by WorldOregon and the Oregon Historical Society: click on this link:
