Changes

[[File:mask_violations.jpg|thumb|left|Figure 1. Men being escorted away from a building in 1918 San Francisco because they were not wearing masks. ]]__NOTOC__

The Covid-19 pandemic is not the first time in the United States that public health officials encouraged people to wear masks to limit the spread of a deadly virus. In the United States, a surprising number of Americans have been angered by this simple request. This reaction should not be unexpected. Similarly, during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, mask-wearing was also politicized. In desperation, public health officials then turned to various tactics to convince Americans to wear masks.

====Summary====

The 1918-1920 flu pandemic offers us valuable insights into getting people to wear masks and common complaints against them. Similar to today, American society debated its utility and looked at issues of personal freedom and comfort. While many concerns and issues are familiar to us, people were also creative in attempting to get people to follow community health practices. These efforts included punishment, embarrassment, appealing to patriotism, or creating more fashionable masks. While these tactics were not always effective, they also generally convinced people to wear masks in the United States.

====References====