It’s important to note that medicine of the time was not as primitive as all that, nor is medicine today that much more advanced in many ways.
To start with, they knew it was a microorganism, though they could not yet image viruses. And they also knew that it followed the rules of contagious diseases. To their advantage over us today, they were *very* familiar with other epidemics and plagues. Every doctor carried quarantine signs in their black bag.
This familiarity with epidemics should not be underestimated. To start with, they used a very potent antiseptic, called carbolic acid (phenol), which is very harsh, toxic, and effective against viruses and bacteria. They also had natural rubber gloves and surgical masks.
They were very aware that coughing and sneezing could spread disease, as well as untreated water and food, physical contamination, insects and animals.
But the big difference was the general public of the time. They were not taught common hygiene, sanitation, disinfectants, or about the causes of disease. That didn’t happen until the middle of World War II, when the government mandated that it be taught.
Wealthier families had a “sick room” in their home, where family members would go when they caught some disease, to help isolate them from the rest of the family.
Exactly right! One of the things Barry emphasized was the extremely high quality of our researchers and medical doctors. They included many Nobel laureates who made discoveries that are still a fundamental part of our health care system. By the way, it would help our sense of humility if more people realized that the influenza virus is STILL a formidable threat, as Barry points out.