A highly contagious disease spreading around the globe. Wearing masks, keeping a safe physical distance from others and isolating when sick. Frequent hand washing and disinfecting. Schools and businesses closed, social gatherings prohibited. But the year… 1918. And the dreaded disease? The Spanish Flu.

A new in-house mini-exhibit at Grey Roots Museum & Archives, Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases, explores the devastating impact of the 1918 global pandemic on citizens of Grey County.

Starting with the Spanish Flu’s mysterious origins, this exhibit details the path of the virus from its unintended arrival in Canada, to the initial confusion surrounding its severity, to its painful human cost.

Coughs and Sneezes Spread Diseases also draws comparisons between the response to a global pandemic in 1918 and in 2020.

“Grey Roots has the responsibility to share lessons from the past, and we are unfortunately living in a time when the experiences and lessons of the Spanish Flu pandemic are very relevant,” says Jill Paterson, Grey Roots Manager. “The staff at Grey Roots are committed to sharing these stories of resilience in Grey County.”

This original mini-exhibit will be open until May 2021. Special holiday hours in effect for December. Book a visit at greyroots.com.

source: media release, Grey Roots