Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Big Books & Bold Ideas with Kerri Miller
Kerri Miller and MPR News Staff

What to learn from pandemics of the past

Isolation station
The last large-scale quarantine in the United States took place during the 1918 flu pandemic.
National Museum of Health and Medicine, AFIP

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

COVID-19 is far from the first pandemic we’ve faced. While many make comparisons to the 1918 flu, we shouldn’t forget about challenging viral and bacterial illnesses of the past like the 1930 parrot fever pandemic, AIDS or Legionnaires outbreaks.

And even with improved medical and scientific knowledge about how to cure and prevent illness, we can’t discount viruses and pandemics. As author Mark Honigsbaum writes, “the only thing that is certain is that there will be new plagues and new pandemics. It is not a question of if, we are told, but when.”

MPR News host Kerri Miller and Honigsbaum talked Tuesday to discuss what we can learn from pandemics and illnesses of the past as we continue to face the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Guest:

  • Mark Honigsbaum is a medical historian, journalist and writer. His latest book is “The Pandemic Century: One Hundred Years of Panic, Hysteria, and Hubris.”

To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.