Health
History Isn’t Entirely Repeating Itself in Covid’s Aftermath
Five years after Covid-19 shut down activities all over the world, medical historians sometimes struggle to place the pandemic in context.
What, they are asking, should this ongoing viral threat be compared with?
Is Covid like the 1918 flu, terrifying when it was raging but soon relegated to the status of a long-ago nightmare?
Is it like polio, vanquished but leaving in its wake an injured but mostly unseen group of people who suffer long-term health consequences?
Or is it unique in the way it has spawned a widespread rejection of public health advice and science itself, attitudes that some fear may come to haunt the nation when the next major illness arises?
Some historians say it is all of the above, which makes Covid stand out in the annals of pandemics.
In many ways, historians say, the Covid pandemic — which the World Health Organization declared on March 11, 2020 — reminds them of the 1918 flu. Both were terrifying, killing substantial percentages of the population, unlike, say, polio or Ebola or H.I.V., terrible as those illnesses were.
The 1918 flu killed 675,000 people out of a U.S. population of 103 million, or 65 out of every 10,000. Covid has so far killed about 1,135,000 Americans out of a population of 331.5 million, or 34 out of every 10,000.
Both pandemics dominated the news every day while they raged. And both were relegated to the back of most people’s minds as the numbers of infections and deaths fell.
J. Alexander Navarro, a medical historian at the University of Michigan, said that in the fall of 1918, when the nation was in the throes of the deadliest wave of the 1918 flu, “newspapers were chock-full of stories about influenza, detailing daily case tallies, death tolls, edicts and recommendations issued by officials.”
During the next year, the virus receded. And so did the nation’s attention.
There were no memorials for flu victims, no annual days of remembrance.
“The nation simply moved on,” Dr. Navarro said.
Much the same thing happened with Covid, historians say, although it took longer for the virus’s harshest effects to recede.
Most people live as though the threat is gone, with deaths a tiny fraction of what they once were.
In the week of Feb. 15, 273 Americans died of Covid. In the last week of 2021, 10,476 Americans died from Covid.
Interest in the Covid vaccine has plummeted, too. Now just “a measly 23 percent of adults” have gotten the updated vaccine, Dr. Navarro noted.
Remnants of Covid remain — lasting financial effects, lags in educational achievement, casual dress, Zoom meetings, a desire to work from home. But few think of Covid as they go about their daily lives.
Dora Vargha, a medical historian at the University of Exeter, noted that there had been no ongoing widespread effort to memorialize Covid deaths. Instead, with Covid, “people disappeared into hospitals and never came out.”
Now it is only their friends and families who remember.
Dr. Vargha called that response understandable. People, she said, do not want to be “dragged back” into memories of those Covid years.
But some, like those suffering from long Covid, can’t forget. In that sense, she sees parallels with other pandemics that, unlike the 1918 flu, left a swath of people who were permanently affected.
People who contracted paralytic polio in the 1950s described themselves to Dr. Vargha as “the dinosaurs,” reminders of the time before the vaccine, when the virus was killing or paralyzing children.
Every pandemic has its dinosaurs, she said. They are the Zika babies living with microcephaly. They are the people, often at the margins of society, who develop AIDS.They are the people who contract tuberculosis.
But despite the pleas from those who cannot forget Covid and who seek more research, more empathy, more attention, the more pervasive attitude is, “We don’t need to care anymore,” said Mary Fissell, a historian at Johns Hopkins University.
That sounds so callous, and yet, said Dr. Barron Lerner, a historian at NYU Langone Health, in the world of public health “there are always people who are left behind — damaged or still at risk.”
“It’s hurtful” for people to be shunted aside, Dr. Lerner said. “Their lives are altered. The attention you feel their situation warrants is downplayed.”
But, he added, “on a realistic basis, there are any number of things to study.” Resources are limited, he noted, adding, “it can make sense to move on.”
One aspect of the Covid pandemic, though, is still with the nation, and seems to be part of a new reality: It has markedly changed attitudes toward public health.
Kyle Harper, a historian at the University of Oklahoma, said he would give the biomedical response to Covid an A-plus. “The rollout of vaccines was incredible,” he said.
But, he said, “I would give the social response a C-minus.”
Dr. Lerner had the same thought.
Few medical experts, he said, expected so much resistance to measures like masks, quarantines, social distancing and — when they became available — vaccines and vaccine mandates.
With Covid, he said, “compared to other pandemics, the amount of pushback to standard public health practices was remarkable.”
“That sets Covid apart,” he said. Public health measures that had worked in the past were rejected.
Some of the pushback was reasonable, he said, like objections to wearing masks outdoors. But the spurning of public health measures was widespread and politicized.
Dr. Navarro agreed and said the contrast with 1918 was striking.
“In 1918, there was an abiding respect for science and medicine that seems lacking today,” he said. There were pockets of resistance to measures like masking and avoiding large groups. But for the most part, he said, people complied with public health advice. And compliance was divorced from politics.
World War I also played a role in the messaging, Dr. Navarro said, which may have bolstered adherence.
“Public health orders and recommendations often purposely used the same language that was used to drum up support for the war effort,” Dr. Navarro said. The authorities, for example, asked people “to cover their coughs and sneezes so as not to gas their fellow citizens as the doughboys were being gassed by the Germans.”
Dr. Lerner contrasted the Covid response to the response to the polio vaccine.
The polio vaccine underwent preliminary testing, and then widespread testing, in the 1950s, with broad public acceptance.
With Covid, “faith in the scientific process got lost,” Dr. Lerner said.
That does not bode well for the next pandemic, Dr. Harper said.
“There’s going to be another pandemic,” he said. “And if we have to fight it without public trust, that’s the worst possible response.”
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Students at the University of Kent in the U.K. are calling for a shutdown in light of an active meningitis outbreak.
The demands follow multiple alerts from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) about the outbreak.
As of March 18, the agency had announced a total of 15 confirmed cases of meningococcal disease, 12 additional potential cases and two deaths in Kent, a county in the southeast of England. The University of Kent is located in Canterbury, a historic city within Kent.
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Meningococcal disease is a serious bacterial infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It can cause two life-threatening conditions: meningitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord lining) and a bloodstream infection called septicemia, which can lead to sepsis, per the above source.
Two people have died amid an outbreak of meningitis at the University of Kent in Canterbury. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
Even with prompt treatment, meningococcal disease can become fatal within hours. Health agencies report a typical fatality rate of about 10% to 15%.
In response to the outbreak, students at the University of Kent launched an online petition calling for campus to be closed.
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“Students at the University of Kent are increasingly concerned about reports of meningitis and sepsis cases affecting members of the campus community,” the petition states, as posted on Change.org. “The confirmation of two deaths, along with reports of hospitalizations, has caused understandable concern among students and staff.”
The petition expressed concern that in-person exams, lectures and other campus activities are continuing amid the outbreak.
As of March 18, health officials had announced a total of 15 confirmed cases of meningococcal disease, 12 additional potential cases and two deaths in Kent, a county in the southeast of England. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
“Many students feel that they are being placed in a difficult position: attend exams and in-person activities during a period of heightened concern or prioritize their health and well-being while risking potential academic consequences,” the petition states. “Students should not feel forced to choose between protecting their well-being and continuing their education.”
“Students deserve to feel safe on campus,” the petition concluded. “We are therefore calling on the University of Kent to consider precautionary steps to prioritize the well-being of students and staff during this situation.
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Preventative antibiotic treatment is being distributed to University of Kent students, according to UKHSA, as well as to those who visited Club Chemistry, a nightclub in Canterbury, between March 5 and March 7.
“A vaccination program has started for students and staff who live in or work in the halls at the University of Kent Canterbury Campus — approximately 5,000 students,” the agency noted.
Fox News Digital reached out to the university requesting comment.
Symptoms of meningococcal disease
Described by the CDC as a “rare but severe illness,” meningococcal disease most commonly causes symptoms of meningitis, including fever, stiff neck, headache, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light or altered mental status.
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It can also cause meningococcal bloodstream infection, which is marked by fever and chills, vomiting, fatigue, vomiting, cold hands and feet, severe aches and pains, diarrhea, rapid breathing or a dark purple rash, the CDC notes.
Transmission and treatment
Meningitis infections can spread through close contact with someone who has meningococcal disease, “generally, through things like coughing or kissing, but it can also spread by being in the same household or room for extended periods of time with an individual who is infected,” Dr. Barbara Bawer, a primary care physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, previously told Fox News Digital.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is contacting 30,000 students and staff of the university to notify them of the outbreak. (Carl Court/Getty Images)
Those who have symptoms of the disease should see their primary care physician immediately, according to the doctor.
As symptoms tend to progress quickly and can be life-threatening, it is essential that the patient receives antibiotics immediately.
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“It can become fatal or dangerous very quickly — within hours — for any individual, especially if antibiotics are not initiated in a timely manner,” Bawer warned. “Even with antibiotics, meningitis can be fatal.”
She added, “This is often due to misdiagnosis, because meningitis can mimic many other illnesses.”
Infection prevention
Most cases of meningococcal disease worldwide are caused by six variations of the Neisseria meningitidis bacteria — A, B, C, W, X and Y.
In the U.S., the most common variations are B, C, W and Y. There are vaccines available to protect against types A, C, W and Y (the MenACWY vaccine) and type B (MenB vaccine), according to the CDC.
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“MenACWY vaccines are routinely recommended for adolescents and for people with other risk factors or underlying medical conditions, including HIV,” the agency previously stated.
“Students should not feel forced to choose between protecting their well-being and continuing their education.”
To reduce risk, Bawer recommends that people get vaccinated with the current meningitis vaccine as recommended by the CDC and avoid being in very closed-in spaces with others as much as possible.
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“If you know of someone who has meningitis in your household or you’ve come in contact with their oral secretions (i.e., you kissed them), then you should get preventative antibiotics,” the doctor told Fox News Digital.
This is even more important for those who are immune-compromised or who are on medications that decrease the immune system, Bawer added.
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The practice of combining cold exposure and breathwork — known as the Wim Hof Method — has gained popularity as a wellness practice, with some research suggesting benefits for stress, energy and mental clarity, though evidence for treating chronic disease remains limited.
And now, a recent study published in the journal Nature appears to support the technique’s potential health benefits.
The research included more than 400 healthy adults averaging 37 years of age, who practiced either the Wim Hof Method (WHM) or mindfulness meditation daily for about one month.
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The WHM practitioners were split into in-person and at-home groups, where one did ice baths and the other took cold showers.
The participants reported their energy, mental clarity, and stress and anxiety levels. The researchers also measured heart rate, breathing and sleep.
Wim Hof, creator of the Wim Hof Method that combines cold exposure and breathwork, is pictured among icebergs on Iceland’s Diamond Beach. (Wim Hof Method)
Participants in the breathwork and cold group had greater improvements in energy, mental clarity and ability to handle stress, benefits that were most noticeable right after their daily practice.
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The study also found that meditation reduced stress early on, but the WHM showed gradual improvements in stress levels over a longer time period. Differences in sleep, cognition and heart health measures were more subtle.
The short 29-day study period could pose a limitation in measuring long-term impacts, the researchers acknowledged.
Wim Hof is pictured meditating in the snow in Switzerland. “I felt that this was going to make a huge difference in people,” he said of his method. (Wim Hof Method)
The participants also knew which group they were placed in, which could have influenced the self-reported results.
“I felt that this was going to make a huge difference in people,” Wim Hof told Fox News Digital. “I had a lot of anecdotal evidence, but that doesn’t make it scientific.”
What is the Wim Hof Method?
The Wim Hof Method is comprised of three pillars: cold, breathing and mindset.
“It is a combination of the three … and when they come together, they reinforce each other and become stronger,” he said. “Use the cold well, and you bring the immune system, the energy system and your cardiovascular system to an optimum [state].”
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Breathing has been shown to lower inflammation, which is the main driver of disease, according to Wim Hof. Research has also shown that a change in mindset can re-circuit the brain to handle stress more efficiently.
Lowering stress levels is crucial to improving health, he noted, as high cortisol (the body’s stress hormone) and inflammation are drivers of chronic disease.
Sunday Swim, a group practicing the Wim Hof Method, does a cold plunge on a Long Island beach. (Sunday Swim)
Lead study author Dr. Jemma King, of the University of Queensland School of Psychology in Australia, said she entered the world’s largest Wim Hof study with a “healthy dose of scientific skepticism.”
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“People are really anxious, people are really burnt out, and the world is very destabilized at the moment,” she told Fox News Digital. “People are increasingly dependent on healthcare systems, and profits keep growing and people keep getting sicker.”
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“We’re glued to screens; we’re reaching for pills every time life feels hard. And so we really wanted to [find out] — is there a better way?”
Sunday Swim founder Brendan Cooke assists participants with breathwork on a Long Island beach. (Sunday Swim)
Although meditation is an important tool for some, an alternative method that involves more activity may be a better option for those with “busy brains,” according to the researcher.
“You’re not sitting there just accepting energy,” she said. “You can actually face it head on, and you can overcome your aversion to the cold, which is very invigorating.”
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“If you choose to do small doses of the right kind of stress, it doesn’t break you down. It actually makes you stronger,” King added.
Scientifically, breathwork can help flush the brain of toxins, clearing mental fog while increasing levels of the beneficial chemicals adrenaline and dopamine, she noted.
Cold exposure may not be safe for everyone, especially those with certain cardiovascular conditions. (iStock)
“We also found something really shocking and unexpected: The people doing the Wim Hof Method became more willing to speak up at work,” King shared. “They were more likely to raise hard issues or have a voice or take interpersonal risks.”
“If you train yourself to step into the cold water every morning, you kind of override that voice that says, ‘Don’t do that,’” she added. “This bravery, this toughness that you train every morning, starts to show up everywhere else in your life.”
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Starting safely
For beginners, Hof recommends simply stepping into a cold shower at home, which activates the cardiovascular system and boosts energy.
“Take the cold shower, go into that breathing, and suddenly you’ll feel an innate power awakening,” he said. “That is the nervous system, and you have control over that.”
Cold exposure may not be safe for everyone, especially those with certain cardiovascular conditions, such as abnormal heart rhythms, heart disease or Raynaud’s syndrome, according to Harvard Health.
Those with underlying conditions should get a physician’s approval before embarking on a cold plunge or another mode of cold exposure therapy, experts advise.
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“[For those who] have conditions, I say start with breathing alone,” Hof recommended. “Breathing trains the nervous system like weightlifting trains the muscles.”
“Know that you are built to have willful control over your health, happiness and strength,” he added.
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A Los Angeles mother of three says she’s lucky to be alive after an uncommon procedure left her cancer-free.
Amy Piccioli, a busy CPA, was just 39 when she visited the ER last year for what she thought was dehydration due to a stomach bug.
Instead, a CT scan revealed a mass in her colon and multiple lesions in her liver, which led to a colorectal cancer diagnosis — despite having “zero signs.”
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“I had no symptoms,” Piccioli told Fox News Digital. “I’m one of those people who’s very diligent about my health and very cognizant about changes in my body. So for this to have happened without any signs or symptoms was just shocking to me.”
Because the cancer had already spread, it was automatically a stage 4 diagnosis.
Amy Piccioli, a Los Angeles mother of three, says she’s lucky to be alive after an uncommon procedure left her cancer-free. (Amy Piccioli)
“I just went numb — I couldn’t believe it,” Piccioli said. “Immediately, you have those feelings of panic and fear.”
In June 2024, Piccioli began undergoing chemotherapy, along with an immunotherapy drug. Just three months later, scans showed that the chemo had shrunk the tumors. Next, she underwent surgery to remove a tumor from her colon.
An unlikely path
After completing the traditional courses of treatment, Piccioli found herself embarking on a path to liver transplantation.
“The cancer was all over my liver,” she shared. “In cases where the cancer is confined to one side of the liver, they can basically cut that portion out … but in my case, a resection was not a possibility because the cancer was everywhere.”
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Although the chemotherapy was successful, she said, “it was always going to be a ‘whack-a-mole’ situation, where I would be on systemic chemo for an extended period of time, new stuff would pop up, and it would just be this cycle over and over and again.”
“The chances of eradicating the cancer entirely from my liver with chemo alone was very slim. In cases like mine, liver transplantation is really the only long-term solution.”
Piccioli (right) is pictured with Dr. Zachary C. Dietch, a transplant surgeon at Northwestern Medicine. (Northwestern Medicine)
Liver transplantation as part of a colorectal cancer treatment is more prevalent in Europe, but not common in the U.S.
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“We just didn’t think it would be an option here,” Piccioli said. “It seemed like something that was going to require a lot of effort to get.”
Her California care team soon discovered, however, that Northwestern Medicine in Chicago offers a liver transplantation program specifically for metastatic colorectal cancer patients.
“I have no evidence of disease currently,” shared Piccioli, pictured on the beach with her husband and three kids. (Amy Piccioli)
“When liver metastasis is noted, our medical oncologists, along with our transplant surgeons begin to make care pathways tailored to the patient,” Satish Nadig, MD, PhD, transplant surgeon and director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Transplant Center, told Fox News Digital.
The chances of a successful transplant depend largely on how the patient responds to treatment, according to doctors. In “carefully selected” patients, the five-year survival rate can be 60% to 80%.
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“Response to chemotherapy is a critical gatekeeper for liver transplantation in colorectal liver metastases,” Nadig said.
“Demonstrated disease control or response is usually required, as it identifies patients whose tumor biology (less aggressive and not spreading quickly) is favorable enough to justify a transplant.”
“You have to be the captain of your own ship.”
Piccioli, who was in search of a living donor, shared the need with family and friends. A lifetime childhood friend, Lauren Prior, underwent screening and was deemed a match.
The transplant was performed in December 2025, making Piccioli the first person at Northwestern to receive a living donor transplantation for metastatic colon cancer.
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Today, she and the donor are recovering well.
“The first week or two were difficult, but by week four, I was up and around, getting back to doing normal life things,” she said. “About two months out, I started working out again. I’m now three months out and feel completely normal. It’s amazing what the body can do.”
Piccioli, who was in search of a living donor, shared the need with family and friends. A lifetime childhood friend, Lauren Prior (right), underwent screening and was deemed a match. (Amy Piccioli)
Piccioli recently had her first post-transplant blood screening for tumor molecules within the body, and none were detected. “So I have no evidence of disease currently,” she shared.
She will remain in Chicago for ongoing monitoring and screening until the end of March, when she will return home to Los Angeles.
On the lookout
Early-onset colorectal cancer is often “silent,” according to Nadig.
“That’s because screening is absent before age 45 and symptoms (such as slow bleeding) are usually subtle,” he cautioned. Tumors can also grow in hard-to-detect locations, like the right side of the colon, or with biology that “delays obvious warning signs.”
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Although Piccioli experienced no warning signs, she encourages others to pay attention to any changes in the body that may signal cancer.
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“Do the screenings at the recommended ages, follow up and just be diligent about your health,” she advised.
“I think a lot of the reason that I got to Northwestern and was able to receive this transplant was because I was so diligent about calling the doctors, scheduling the appointments … I think that is really the most important thing: You have to be the captain of your own ship.”
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