The unexpected arrival of the novel Coronavirus in January 2020 has changed many aspects of our daily lives and our sense of normalcy. This is not the first pandemic humans have faced, however. Older generations still remember their parents' stories about the 1918-1920 influenza pandemic, for example, which, like COVID-19, caused serious respiratory problems, death, and fear of the unknown. Through my autoethnographic explorations across time and space, this essay examines how stories of past pandemics (re)emerge at a fast pace, reinforcing embodiments of dread and fear during COVID-19's trying times.
Keywords: 1918‐1920 influenza; COVID‐19; autoethnography; narrative; pandemic.
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