Lessons from History and the Coronavirus

By Jeff Matas

The world of 1918 was vastly different from the world today. Nearly a century ago, there were no antibiotics, modern hospitals, intensive care units; instant communication didn’t exist; most people lived in rural areas and not in major metropolitan areas; and travel across continents took weeks, not hours. Now the world’s population is four times larger with more than half living in large cities. 

But there are some similarities between 1918 and today’s coronavirus when it comes to pandemics. In 1918, the world was battling the Spanish flu, today it’s the pandemic of coronavirus (COVID-19). Both were previously unknown viral strains for which there was no known vaccine. Both spread through moisture droplets emanating from the mouth, throat and lungs. Both caused severe economic disruptions—I still haven’t looked at the carnage done to my Servant Solutions retirement fund, but I’m taking Jim O’Bold’s advice to avoid panic which means staying the course in my “life fund.” There are some lessons to learn from 1918 that we can apply today.

1. Leadership is key

In 1918, Philadelphia was one of the hardest hit cities partly because its government was so corrupt. The city was called “the worst-governed city in America.” Knowing the political corruption prevalent in Chicago and New York during that era, that was quite a feat. The official in charge of Philadelphia’s public health department allowed the city to proceed with a Liberty Loan parade to sell millions of dollars of war bonds, despite warnings that the event would spread the illness. The parade drew 200,000 people, within 72 hours, every bed in the city’s 31 hospitals was filled.

St. Louis had the most success of any large American city in fighting the pandemic. The city’s health commissioner was very proactive in efforts to contain the illness. He worked with city leaders to implement individual quarantines and bans on public gatherings. Thanks to his leadership, St. Louis’s mortality rate from the flu was half that of Philadelphia’s. 

Leadership mattered at the national level too. President Woodrow Wilson was so focused on winning World War I that he refused to listen to repeated warnings about the pandemic from the chiefs of the Army and Navy. He even turned a deaf ear to pleadings from his personal physician. The U.S. ended up losing 675,000 to the Spanish flu, compared to the 53,000 killed in combat in World War I.

The cities that fared best in 1918 were the ones that started isolating patients early and continued until the epidemic was under control.

2. Implement public health measures

In 1918, there was no national leadership for the pandemic. That meant that each city and state pursued its own approach. With so many varied approaches, this created an unintended experiment on best practices for public health policies. The cities which implemented isolation policies (such as quarantining houses where influenza was present) and “social distancing” measures (such as closing schools, theaters, churches and public events) saw death rates 50% lower than those that did not. 

Since 1918, studies of infections and pandemics have stressed the benefits of preventative (good) hygiene such as regular hand washing and using hand sanitizer can reduce influenza cases by 40%. 

3. Give accurate information

Every pandemic comes with false information, rumors, mistrust and stigmatization. Last week, Carla and I returned from a week in Seattle (one of the U.S. cities hardest hit with coronavirus). When we returned to Indiana and met with Hoosiers, there were some that weren’t very comfortable being near us. 

In 1918, the Spanish had nothing to do with the Spanish flu. It didn’t originate in Spain, but because Spain was the first country to report the disease and Spain was neutral in the war, many blamed them, and the name stuck to this day.

The public needs to have accurate answers to key questions raised when a new virus becomes a global threat. Where did it come from? How could I get infected? Can I pass it on? How can I protect my loved ones?

These same lessons apply to your local church

1. Provide effective leadership

• Focus on prayer not panic. 
  • Remind your congregation that God is in control and to trust in Him.
  • Engage your prayer warriors and prayer teams to pray for the victims of the virus and their families.
  • Encourage them to pray for precious souls to come to faith in Christ.
• Be prepared to offer online worship services and Bible studies
  • If your church doesn’t offer online streaming of services on its website or on Facebook Live, start planning to implement that now. Don’t wait.
• Strongly encourage your church members to use digital/online giving. The churches that implement that strategy don’t miss a beat financially due to inclement weather or other emergencies that force the church to close on a Sunday. By the way, you should be moving your church to online giving regardless of coronavirus, it’s simply good stewardship practice.
• Position your church to be of public service should your community experience a health emergency.
  • Know your local public health officials and city leaders, contact them to offer the church’s assistance should it be needed.
• Now is the time to reassess your current church practices that might be harmful during a public health emergency.
  • Confession: I’m an extrovert and I really don’t like meet-and-greets. Having said that, now is the time to stop the all-church Sunday morning meet-and-greet. Last Sunday, I spoke in a church that knew I just got back from Seattle which made the meet-and-greet even more awkward. Even if I wasn’t there last Sunday, people didn’t know what to do with what they were hearing from the media and how to act during the meet-and-greet. Some sheepishly said no to any touching, others barged through physical barriers with handshakes and the occasional hug, others fist-bumped instead of a handshake (by the way, fist-bumping still transmits the virus to your hands). Guests really don’t like meet-and-greets, so why do we still do them? Doesn’t the time before and after the service offer plenty of opportunity for those who are part of the church to meet and greet? Use this opportunity to put an end to the meet-and-greet, your guests will thank you.
  • If you celebrate communion using intinction, I would suggest switching to another method that keeps hands away from a common cup.

2. Provide accurate information and follow good public health measures

• Develop a communication plan
  • Have a plan in place for the possibility that coronavirus hits your community, schools, and church.
    • What will you do?
    • Will you encourage folks 60 and older and those with health issues to stay home?
    • Will you cancel all public services? If so, for how long?
    • How can people remain connected to the church during that time?
  • Provide hand sanitizing stations in the church, which could mean simply having hand sanitizers on tables that are stationed around the church building. Place clearly marked signs marking the stations and foster awareness of the stations from the platform using announcements, talking about the “why” and even humorously demonstrating how to use a hand sanitizer to the congregation.
  • Explain any changes that will take place to the congregation. If you plan on changing communion, the meet-and-greet time, or any other activity due to the health crisis, communicate clearly the “why”.