How the pandemics of the 20th century ended

Spanish, Asian and Hong Kong flu killed millions before medical advances and social measures brought them to a close

Asian Flu, 1957, pandemic
Children at a Tokyo school gargle before classes as a precaution against so-called Asian flu in 1957
(Image credit: Getty Images)

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases worldwide is nearing one million, a troubling milestone in a pandemic that has caused significant upheaval in people’s lives across the globe.

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