Research activities proceed in three main phases. First, I collected historical and archival data, particularly from records held at the National Archives of Norway in Oslo. I focused on institutions such as psychiatric hospitals and schools for children with disabilities. I looked for material on daily life and activities, physical environments, demographic characteristics, and 1918 flu experiences. These records provided context for quantitative analyses and for the construction of the simulation model described below. I also analyzed published data on the 1918 flu at psychiatric institutions in the Bergen area. In addition to details on the spread of disease through these institutions, the directors also reported the numbers of cases and deaths for both residents and staff. My analyses data showed that although illness was significantly lower for patients (only 24% became ill vs. 53% of the staff), there was significantly higher case fatality among them (10% vs. 1% for the staff).
Second, I worked with colleagues at Umeå University, Sweden, to extract records from the Demographic Data Base for individuals living in nine parishes from 1918-1920. Among other variables, these records noted disability and institutionalisation statuses, as well as causes of death. More than 22,000 records were complete enough for further analysis. Statistical comparisons suggest that mortality from influenza and related causes during the pandemic was significantly higher, relative to the non-disabled population, for people with disabilities who were also institutionalised, people with psychiatric or psychological but not other types of disabilities, and people with only one disability but not those with multiple recorded disabilities. This last finding may be due to small sample sizes and/or different rates of institutionalisation and needs further investigation.
Third, quantitative and qualitative data were used to construct a simulation model of a school for children with disabilities, based on annual reports for the Holmestrand School for the Deaf and other schools in early 20th century Norway. This model consists of a population of students and staff who engage in daily activities in social spaces such as bedrooms, classrooms and a dining hall. Simulations of the model show that, on average, epidemics have different sizes, timing and patterns of spread depending on whether a teacher or student is the first case and on how many students share each bedroom.
Dissemination of project results include a peer-reviewed paper based on the first phase of research and published in the Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research. A paper reporting model results is currently under review. Results from both the first and second phases have been presented at conferences, including the American Anthropological Association and the European Social Science History Conference. A final talk was given online, posted to the project website and shared via social media. I also recorded two podcasts with Oslo Metropolitan University and was interviewed about my project for an article in Horizon magazine discussing its relevance for disabled people during COVID-19.
