A Great Historian, statesman and writer, Winston S. Churchill, is quoted on many occasions during his illustrious career on the subjects of history and politics:

"The Farther Backward You Can Look, The Farther Forward You Can See"

Our present COVID-19 pandemic is fearful for all Americans during during this spring season. Our Easter and Passover holidays celebrate the renewal of life and of new beginnings during the spring. America has not been through a serious worldwide pandemic for over 100 years. In 2020, America now has the advantages of over 100 years with state of the art advances in science, medical, computer, mass communication, technologies, etc. combined with the required skills, knowledge, talents and historical memory and data unheard of and unknown in 1918. In 2020, America must wage a common cause of nonpartisan total warfare against the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, America has 100 years of accumulated wisdom and knowledge on how to wage an effective war on modern pandemics.

The so-called "Spanish Flu" of 1918 (which actually began in America!) killed more than 500,000 Americans more deaths than caused by WWI of American Soldiers in 1917-1918. The estimated, staggering and still unbelievable, death toll from the Spanish Flu number at least 50 million deaths.

A short historical comparison/analysis on the communication of knowledge and know-how between worldwide pandemics in 1918 versus 2020:

In 1918: America had nationwide telegraph and cable transmissions. However, public telephone usage was in its infancy and there were no public national or local radio broadcast stations nor radios for public use in 1918. In 1918, there were no national or worldwide mass communication networks for the dissemination of data, information, news to the public and only paper-printed newspapers, weekly magazines and periodicals for distribution and use.

In 2020: America has mass communications for social media distribution, use of satellite communications to transfer data and information and use of worldwide internet for 24/7 news, TV and radio, news in electronic and print form, etc. All of which were unheard of nor were available to wage total war on worldwide health and medical pandemics in 1918.

George Bernard Shaw (who was a great writer and a good friend of Winston S. Churchill) is quoted on whether or not "history repeats itself":

"If history repeats itself, and the unexpected always happens, how incapable must man be of learning from experience?"

Finally, there is no easy way out of the COVID-19 pandemic except time and patience, and a vaccine, however, the essential question remains to be answered: "When?"

The fear of the unknown is a terrible fear.

Weintraub writes from Stroudsburg, Pa.

Read the original:
For What Its Worth: The fear of the unknown is a terrible fear - Pocono Record