As we look at how Covid-19 has affected our lives and economy, we feel that nothing like this has happened before. That is not true.

Man has faced infectious diseases since prehistoric times. Two diseases that were more common in the last century and how our society responded are good examples for us when dealing with Covid-19.

The first example is tuberculosis. Until the 1950s, sanitariums were quite common. A relative of mine became the food service director of several Catholic sanitariums in New York City in the 1940s. Before widespread use of antibiotics, people would remain in a sanitarium for months while convalescing. That would help them get proper care and keep from spreading the disease to others.

In the 19^th century, tuberculosis was known as “consumption” or the wasting disease. Emily Bronte, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Anton Chekhov were all writers that died of the disease. In our own western mythology, Doc Holiday contracted and died from TB. Ever since the vaccine for tuberculosis has been widely given in the United States, this disease has been under control. Yet it is estimated that 13 million Americans have latent tuberculosis infection even today.

What is closer to the current corona virus pandemic is the polio outbreaks of last century. While polio was present in the population throughout history, it was not as widespread until the late 19^th and early 20^th century. Prior to then young children up to the age of 4 would usually have very mild cases thus acquiring immunity. With the introduction of public water and sanitation systems, this natural immunity no longer occurred. The older you were the more severe the symptoms and prognosis. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the most famous of polio’s victims, became infected with the virus as a mature adult.

Every summer from the beginning of the 20^th century until the Salk vaccine was approved in the mid-1950s, there would be an epidemic in part of the country. When the local Health Department began giving the vaccine, I remember lining up to take “my shot.” By the early 1960s, polio was no longer the scourge that it had been at one time in the developed world.

For the first half of the 20^th century, polio was responsible for economic upheaval in parts of the United States every summer. Movie theaters, community pools, concert venues would all be closed when an outbreak occurred. Even during the worst year of the polio epidemic in 1952, there were only 3200 people that died of the disease in the U.S.

While Covid-19 has a much higher mortality rate, I believe there are still lessons to be learned from what was done then which can be applied today. There are many of us that believe that economics should take precedence over our community health. While I agree we cannot be in a permanent lock down, because of advances in science and technology, we are so much better able to manage than we would be if we were living in the 1950s.

We can safely shop in any store if masks are worn and social distancing is practiced. More and more of us can work from home which should be continued. We can conduct personal meetings using masks and social distancing. Tools such as Zoom allow us to continue to do so much virtually that in the past would be impossible. In order to do our jobs, many of us must interact with the public. Again, using social distancing and proper hygiene we can minimize the danger.

Our parents and grandparents were used to adversity. They accepted restrictions that we call infringement on our rights today. They knew that sacrifice for the common good was beneficial for society. This made them better able to cope with a pandemic than we are. They understood deferred gratification.

To us, a great tragedy is not going to the beach or sitting in a restaurant. While both can be done responsibly, we must realize that for the next year or more, intermittently closing those and the imposition of other short-term restrictions may be necessary for society to function.

Until a vaccine is found, this opening and closing will remain a fact of life. The United States has done a poor job of responding to this pandemic. Covid-19 will continue to devastate us both physiologically and economically if we do not use common sense. It may require us to close parks for a month, businesses for a month and schools for a month and then be prepared to open again once the wave subsides. And then 6 months later, perhaps close once more.

That is the type of behavior that allowed society to persevere in earlier times. We have modern science and medicine that will be able to give us back nearly all of what we had before. I say nearly because this pandemic, like other past disruptions, will change society in fundamental ways not yet known.