10 March 2020
Coronavirus and the Sun: a Lesson from the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
Emergency hospital at Brookline, Massachusetts to care for influenza cases. (National Archives, photo no. 165-WW-269B-19)
During the influenza pandemic 100 years ago, “medics found that severely ill flu patients nursed outdoors recovered better than those treated indoors. A combination of fresh air and sunlight seems to have prevented deaths among patients; and infections among medical staff.” Could this also help us recover from Covid-19? According to Richard Hobday, expert in infection control, public health and bulding design, the answer may be yes.