Robbie2 said: "THE CORONAVIRUS VERSUS THE THEATER.…I would love to believe that theater (and dance and concerts, and the like) will soon get “back to normal.” I want that to happen, as much as anyone. But, let’s look at the realities.But I’m not sure I see how the risks–to performers, stagehands, ushers, and audience members alike–will be significantly lower in a couple of months, or in six months, or even in a year or two.I’d like to be wrong about this. I want to cheer on friends on Broadway, and in Boston, and in Princeton, and in East Haddam, CT…. But how will the risk of infection with a virus for which we have no cure be removed in six months? Or in a year? Will audience members, performers, stagehands, and ushers be wearing protective face masks? The Spanish Flu of 1918 lasted about three years before finally burning itself out. (And I’m not saying Covid-19 is the same thing—just seeing if history can offer any possible clues.)http://www.theaterscene.net/columns/on-the-town-april-2020/chip-deffaa/?fbclid=IwAR1N_2G_mWOuISnCGyDzzqYX8JHWRb6EnKJhZe1PY57Kzr3lv9uSsqjJ2Ig"
History absolutely can offer clues and we can use them and learn, but we also have to remember that a century later, "Things never happen the same way twice", to quote one of my favorite literary characters. A friend posted this article, basically saying the only thing we can really factually confirm is that the second wave was worse, but numbers are still kind of all over the place. Even experts on this are still researching that pandemic, but also with the reminder that science then and science now are 180 degrees of different. Or rather the technology available is vastly differently. Vaccines weren't the "thing" they are now, nor did we have global disease institutions that we have now, The WHO, CDC, etc. Yes vaccines have been around MUCH longer than just a century, but science and available technology at any given time in history go hand in hand. Better/more advanced technology allows for more/better scientific study. We didn't have then what we have now. Which is to our moderate advantage. Of course, that doesn't mean new diseases still don't pop up here and there, we just happen to be unlucky enough to live through one of them. Viruses are a bitch that way, constantly mutating to throw us all for a loop when we least expect it.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/04/25/fact-check-total-deaths-each-spanish-flu-wave-unknown/3024648001/?fbclid=IwAR06igz2d_YSkR_0Is7sy27NtYkJ3phPeMJgh4CdLcFkeCVOfwtwQGAQIHk
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