The Spanish flu and the First World War ended around the same time. The decade that followed was known as the roaring 20s because of high living and the adoption of a less inhibited lifestyle by women as well as men. Currently, parallels between Covid-19 and the Spanish flu are not that clear but they have both spawned periods of great suffering hopefully followed by a period of extreme relief when they end. I added hopefully because as I write we seem to be in the fourth wave of this deadly flu.
But this time Covid-19 vaccines are available and seem to be stemming the tide to some extent. The good news is that the decade following this pandemic may more closely resemble the roaring 20s than we think. And if it does, it could be the start of a period of substantial economic growth and profound social change. As Bob Dylan says in the song “the times they are changing.” Maybe?