Influenza Precautions, Then and Now

historyanalysisNLM Circulating Now1918 · United States

Influenza Precautions, Then and Now

the gist

In 1918 the US Public Health Service told people to fight the Spanish flu with rest, fresh air, warm clothing, avoiding crowds, staying home when sick and covering coughs. Cover up each cough and sneeze, if you don't you'll spread disease, the pamphlet rhymed. Today's CDC advice on everyday preventive actions is remarkably similar, but now vaccines and antiviral drugs exist, which 1918 did not have. Officials then also underestimated the danger, and the US death toll of more than 600,000 was at least five times the number of American soldiers killed in World War One. Gauze masks for attendants were recommended then, but they are now considered medically ineffective.

so what

The comparison shows which flu advice has lasted a century and which has changed because of medical knowledge. It also shows how wartime priorities and a slow information cycle shaped the early response.

U.S. National Library of Medicine

Illustrative photo · Otis Historical Archives, National Museum of Health and Med…, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

source: NLM Circulating Now ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗