Avoid public gatherings. Close churches and theatres. Dont shake hands. Dont spit. Wear masks. Sounds like Dr. Anthony Fauci in 2020. But those words were spoken by Dr. Thomas Tuttle in 1918 when the Spanish flu, which did not originate in Spain, was sweeping across the globe. Countries involved in the First World War censored stories about the flu so as not to create even more panic than that sparked by the war. Spain was neutral and newspapers published extensively about the flu in that country, forever linking the disease with Spain.

Tuttle was a specialist in infectious diseases and had been appointed health commissioner in the state of Washington. Although viruses had not yet been discovered, he was convinced the disease was spread through human contact, particularly by the coughs and sneezes of people who had been infected. He even raised the prospect of individuals transmitting the disease without being sick themselves, a situation now termed asymptomatic transmission.

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Link:
The Right Chemistry: Charlie Chaplin, Dr. Tuttle and the Spanish flu - Montreal Gazette