Opinion: Messaging — the unrecognized coefficient in pandemic control — matters
A little over a century ago, scientists working in laboratories discovered that microbes were the cause of many epidemics. Once they understood that, they began to put their faith more and more in laboratory science. This major transformation, called the bacteriological revolution, began in the 1880s.
During this period, diphtheria was one of the leading causes of death among mostly poor children in New York City. Physicians and government authorities believed that the disease was uncontrollable, and New Yorkers were told that they just needed to live with it. But as historian Evelynn Hammonds points out in her powerful book, “Childhood’s Deadly Scourge: The Campaign to Control Diphtheria in New York City, 1880-1930,” public health authorities were more optimistic — and more pragmatic.
