Well, of course, in the early 80s, the world was confronted by another epidemic. Clusters of otherwise healthy people across America, initially, were being admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia and other opportunistic conditions. Doctors didn't know what was happening, but in any case there wasn't a cure. Rather like now, it was apparent that the virus was spreading before the sufferer showed symptoms. Rather like now, the most reliable theory is that the virus spread from animal to human through blood transfer whilst capturing or butchering the animal. And rather like now, where as a result of the virus spreading heavily in China we've seen plenty of unjustified stigma against those of Chinese origin, the world looked at the demographics in which the virus was being spread, and 'gay-related immune deficiency' came to be. In real terms, it wasn't that long before we found out that AIDS, as it became formally known, was caused by HIV and that it can be controlled, and prevented, and now forty years later, we're at the stage where we even have medicine you can take that will bring your chance of contracting it to effectively zero. But that didn't stop the damage that, both at the time, and since, media sensationalism, popular prejudice and pure and simple fear had done - AIDS was seen as a gay disease and, in many cases still is, even though sexual transmission rates are equal between same and opposite sex couples.
We talk about things being a 'new normal' as we adjust to a world with COVID-19, and we had to adapt to a 'new normal' back then, too.
The unknown is the same; the fear is the same; in many cases the prejudice is the same.