Five years ago. a novel virus was rapidly spreading around the world and in mid-March, American life suddenly shut down. The COVID-19 pandemic altered our lives and our culture in lasting ways.

The COVID-19 pandemic that began 5 years ago caused changes that still are felt today in our politics, schools, hospitals, workplaces and homes.

The evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic – from devastation, to optimism for eradication, to persistent, uneven spread of disease – may seem unprecedented. As an infectious disease doctor and medical historian, however, I see similarities to other epidemics, including syphilis, AIDS and tuberculosis.