Differences between COVID-19 and the 1918 flu pandemic. (Coursework Sample)

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Question 1
According to Gina Koleta, Covid 19 is different from the 1918 flu pandemic due to minimal medical advances in 1918. For instance, the electron microscope had not been discovered, and the genetic composition of viruses required when developing a vaccine. Another difference was the lack of protective gear for frontline health care workers in 1918. Further, during the 1918 flu, healthcare workers could not test a person showing mild – symptoms, and it was not easy to conduct contact tracing. Another difference is that the 1918 flu affected the young and spared older persons, while COVID- 19 is mainly affecting the aged. Another difference is that the 1918 flu claimed more fatalities than the number of persons Covid- 19 has killed.
Question 2
The history of "mask slackers" in 1918 helps me better understand the ongoing historical debate about American freedom's various meanings. It highlights that masks have always been a great source of controversy where a section of Americans follow recommendations from public health officials and wear masks. At the same time, another group refuses to wear masks, citing an impairment of individual freedom. As in the past, masks are seen as a symbol of government excess on personal freedoms leading to cultural and political wars in both cases.
Question 3
According to Hunter Gardner, historians should be cautious about offering advice or “lessons from history” for Covid 19 today because it is prone to misinterpretation by the country's leadership or the mainstream media. The narratives historians choose to retell should affirm what humans value, including our current world and disease impact on our lives and how the effects of disease reveal other social issues such as injustices, vulnerabilities and political dysfunctions.
Question 4
The fundamental similarities between the ways Americans responded to the 1918 flu pandemic and Covid 19 are the great panic the pandemics caused and resistance to mask due to alleged infringement of personal freedoms. Also, both pandemics strained healthcare professionals due to a lack of preparedness. The two pandemics' differences were in medical technological advances, including lack of genetic sequencing of viruses and protective gear during the 1918 flu pandemic. Another difference is that the COVID- 19 is prim