Past Pandemics and Public Reaction: The Influenza Pandemics

It is difficult to place the COVID-19 crisis in historical context. Comparisons have been made to the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, Swine Flu, SARS, and also the 1890 Pandemic. Yet, further research suggests that we should also be looking at the "Asian Flu" of 1957 and the "Hong Kong Flu" of 1968. By examining these relatively recent pandemics, we can compare the reaction of NZ and other countries to the present crisis says historian from the Victoria University of Wellington Dr Grant Morris.