In the middle of the 1900s, American parents were concerned about letting their children to go to birthday parties, pools, or anywhere else they might gather as the fear of polio took hold of the US, with images showing children using wheelchairs reminding the nation of the perils of the illness.
The authorities closed down restaurants and other public spaces to prevent the spread of the disease, much like during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Dr Rosemary Rochford, a professor of immunology and microbiology at the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine.
