A Northern Illinois University history professor says there are similarities between the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and today’s COVID-19 pandemic. At least 50 million people died worldwide from the Spanish flu. Dr. Beatrice Howard says the U.S. experienced a second wave of the virus in 1919 because of World War One. Experts point out many health officials knew masks and social distancing was key to stopping the spread. Most knew eventually what ended that pandemic was the mutation of the virus, which became less lethal.

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