A group of people standing outdoors wearing masks over their mouths. This was probably during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. One of the women has a sign in front of her reading 'Wear a mask or go to jail."

Wear a Mask or Go to Jail

What the history of the 1918 Flu Pandemic can help us understand about today's public health measures.
Republican Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Ga.) and Jim Jordan (Ohio) during a House select subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic in Washington. (Ricky Carioti/The Washington Post)
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Pandemic Origin Stories are Laced Through With Politics

Efforts to pinpoint early cases have been complicated, and in some cases compromised, by distractions and diversions.
Nurses parading down a city street.

Right All the Way Through: Dr. Minerva Goodman and the Stockton Mask Debate

A 1918 debate offers a portrait of the challenges facing local officials during a health emergency.

“All the World’s a Harem”

How masks became gendered during the 1918–1919 Flu Pandemic.
People wearing masks; one has a sign that reads "Wear a mask or go to jail."

The Last Pandemic

Using history to guide us in the difficult present.

“The Mask Law will be Rigidly Enforced”

Ordinances, arrests, and celebrations during the influenza epidemic.

A Complete Halt to the Liquor Traffic: Drink and Disease in the 1918 Epidemic

In Philadelphia, authorities faced a familiar challenge: to protect public health while maintaining individuals' rights to act, speak, and assemble freely.

“Kiss Via Kerchief”: Influenza Warnings in 1918

If kissing was deemed necessary during the flu pandemic, a handkerchief should be used to prevent direct contact with the lips.