US and Modern World History 10: Be the Change

Centers for Disease Control - US

World Health Organization

Watch documentaries about epidemics of the past.

Centers for Disease Control - US

World Health Organization

This Libguide has links to several news sources that will help you gather information about Covid 19.

Oral histories tell the stories of “garages full of caskets” during an influenza strain that killed at least a half-million Americans.

Ms. Hoiseth's niece is on lockdown in Spain and is posting daily about her experience.

The coronavirus has now fully arrived in the United States. This week, stories of people trying to rise to that challenge, in some pretty extreme situations.

Ms. Strever (MS Art) created a series of interesting photos of Delhi in lockdown.

Developed in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, StoryCorps Connect is a first-of-its kind platform that enables you to record a StoryCorps interview with a loved one remotely using video conference technology. The audio and a still photo from each interview goes into our archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Your interview becomes part of American history, and hundreds of years from now, future generations will listen in. We think of StoryCorps as an ever-growing archive of the wisdom of humanity.

A crisis on this scale can reorder society in dramatic ways, for better or worse. Here are 34 big thinkers’ predictions for what’s to come.

Trying to see the silver lining of the dark cloud.

The greatest error that geopolitical analysts can make may be believing that the COVID-19 crisis will be over in three to four months, as world leaders have been implying. A nervous world will be permanently changed, argues Thomas Wright.

The U.S. may end up with the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the industrialized world. This is how it’s going to play out.

From Forbes

"It is hard to believe that anything good could come out of the COVID-19 pandemic. The virus has infected hundreds of thousands of people around the world and caused governments to impose travel restrictions, curfews, and business closures. However, as people are being told to stay home to avoid the spread of the disease, social distancing has proved to be a blessing for the global climate." (Youngzine) Learn how social distancing has reduced pollution during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Pollution and greenhouse gas emissions have fallen across continents as countries try to contain the spread of the new coronavirus. Is this just a fleeting change, or could it lead to longer-lasting falls in emissions?

With many people stuck at home, the pandemic has had some impacts on the environment as well.

Summary: "It has been difficult to find any upside to the worldwide outbreak of COVID-19. But scientists have found at least one positive aspect of this crisis: it might be helping the environment." (NewsCurrents Read to Know) Read more about the reduction in pollution during the coronavirus pandemic.

"The recent coronavirus epidemic has sent waves of panic across the globe. Not only is this disease impacting people all around the world, but it is also devastating to the global economy....Fear over the Covid-19 coronavirus has slowed down manufacturing businesses and increasing the costs of assembled products. The stock market has had its biggest loss in recent years as many investors are pulling back their investments." (Youngzine) Learn how the COVID-19 coronavirus is affecting businesses around the world.

From the Brookings Institution

From the United Nations Development Programme

Summary: "With the current coronavirus pandemic, schools in over 100 countries have closed, causing over 300 million students to stay at home. Governments are advising citizens to isolate themselves and follow social distancing rules when they need to make necessary trips outside their homes. Restaurants, bars, lounges, clubs, and other public institutions around the world are also shutting their doors. Life as we know it has been disrupted. However, educators and officials are working to allow students to resume their studies with online alternatives." (Youngzine) Read more about schools and museums going online during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Recently, German Chancellor Angela Merkel was spotted politely declining a handshake from her Health Minister. Avoiding a handshake may have been considered impolite a couple of years ago, but it is now getting more and more common, especially because of the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19 strain)....Let's take a look at some of the common greetings that are used around the world in place of the famous handshake and more of the alternatives people are using instead of shaking each others' hands." (Youngzine)

From the New York Times

This video is from CNN.

"As the world continues to struggle with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, most schools and universities around the globe have closed in an effort to help stop the spread of the deadly disease. In the United States--where there are more COVID-19 cases (more than 245,000) than in any other country--school closures began in March 2020." (World Book Online Behind the Headlines) Read about school closures and COVID-19.

From CNN

"Did you know that the common flu kills at least 12,000 Americans each year? Meanwhile, the coronavirus has infected nearly 60,000 and killed 1,370 people, mostly in China where it originated....Researchers are working on creating a vaccine that can stem the spread of the coronavirus, which now has a new name--COVID-19." (Youngzine) Read about the coronavirus COVID-19 and learn how vaccines are made.

From Time magazine

"Like Japan in the mid-1800s, the United States now faces a crisis that disproves everything the country believes about itself."

From the United Nations

This opinion piece was on CNN.