Learning from the Spanish Flu and the World Wars
In a previous post, we shared a link to a South Carolina Manufacturing article in which Paul Kumler examined the economic impacts of the 1918 Spanish Flu and the World Wars to see how they might be similar to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The economic impact of the Spanish Flu is especially interesting given that it began during WWI. Since production remained high (because it had to, for the war effort), the Spanish Flu had surprisingly small impact on the US economy. WWII and the rationing it required led to pent-up demand among American consumers, and once again the economy bounced back fairly quickly after the war.
In Part 2, Paul looks more closely at specific ways the COVID situation might be similar to these past events, or how it might differ. Then he gives some suggestions—for individuals and businesses—of how we can all work together for a healthy outcome. See below for the full discussion.