COVID-19 in a Global, Economic Perspective

Abstract

While the emergence of the Corona Virus in humans is considered a novelty, historically speaking, it has a precedent in the “Spanish Flu” and the worldwide pandemic it caused in 1918. This project seeks to understand what lessons the prior pandemic has for the current world, especially when it comes to the economy on a national and global scale. After providing the major historical details of the 1918 pandemic and its cultural impact, this project will focus on the differences in how each pandemic was handled, how they impacted the world’s GDP, and how some countries recovered economically faster than others. Ultimately, the 1918 pandemic has much to teach us about how humans and their institutions react to a global challenge like a pandemic.