topic Re: Reliving History in Community Chat

Reliving History

Marp — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 00:32:52 GMT

Familiar with the old saying that history repeats itself? Well, if you have a few minutes and bit of curiosity you might find the linked article interesting. I'll include a brief excerpt here.

In the late summer of 1918, the devastating second wave of the Spanish flu arrived on America’s shores. Carried by World War I doughboys returning home from Europe, the newly virulent virus spread first from Boston to New York and Philadelphia before traveling West to infect panicked populations from St. Louis to San Francisco.

Lacking a vaccine or even a known cause of the outbreak, mayors and city health officials were left to improvise. Should they close schools and ban all public gatherings? Should they require every citizen to wear a gauze face mask? Or would shutting down important financial centers in wartime be unpatriotic?

When it was all over, the Spanish flu killed an estimated 675,000 Americans among a staggering 20 to 50 million people worldwide. Certain U.S. cities fared far worse than others, though, and looking back more than a century later there’s evidence that the earliest and most well-organized responses slowed the spread of the disease—at least temporarily—while cities that dragged their feet or let down their guard paid a heavier price.

https://history.com/news/spanish-flu-pandemic-response-cities

Re: Reliving History

Bhvbum — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 00:51:37 GMT

My grandmother died in the 1918 flu epidemic. It was a terrific hardship for my family and we heard all the stories.

That's why I have taken this flu epidemic very very seriously.

Re: Reliving History

millieshops — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 00:52:04 GMT

@MarpI still marvel that I never remember hearing about the 2018 pandemic until some time 40 or 50 years later.

The next time I remember adding to what I know came in early March. My widowed BIL came to visit, bringing with him a section of his WSJournal and in that was an article about that 2018 pestilence and how various cities coped. The info matches that which is in the link you provided, just written several weeks earlier.

Now as I live through this pandemic, I can only wonder what historians will write about how our nation handled Covid-19.

Re: Reliving History

pitdakota — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 02:03:55 GMT

Great article @Marp!

When we first went into the shutdown, our governor frequently showed the graph of Spanish flu curves of both St. Louis and Philadelphia during his daily briefts and discussed the need for those of us in Ky to be like St. Louis back during the Spanish flu epidemic. He made the points frequently that those in St. Louis that took heed and took action quickly fared much better than Philadelphia.

It speaks volumes that those that really acted quickly with a populace that complied had much better outcomes than other cities that didn't.

Re: Reliving History

jeanlake — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 02:13:00 GMT

Good article. I'm a beliver that WHAT WE RESIST, PERSISTS. Doesn't say much for our stubborn natures.

Interesting -- Spanish Flu probably didn't begin in Spain. In Spain they called it the French Flu. First case in USA was a military base in Kansas.

Re: Reliving History

Drythe — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 19:12:38 GMT

Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

~ Santayana

I like to think we can learn from our past.

Re: Reliving History

SoX — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 19:38:02 GMT

"Exceptional times require exceptional leadership" ... we didn't have it then ... we don't have it now.

Re: Reliving History

PA Mom-mom — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 19:45:52 GMT

@Marp Our town was on the rail line from Philadelphia and, we seem to have taken very serious measures with masks and social distancing (according to newspaper archives). However, we were hit hard. I think it may have been similar circumstances as today. People just didn't follow the directives.

Re: Reliving History

Laura14 — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 19:46:32 GMT

My aunt who just passed from Covid lost some of her childhood siblings to the Spanish flu. How's that for full circle?

Re: Reliving History

patbz — Fri, 03 Jul 2020 19:59:14 GMT

@millieshops : Do you mean 1918 pandemic? I'm confused because you stated "2018" twice.

Re: Reliving History

millieshops — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 14:02:14 GMT

@patbzTY - I do try to remember to proofread before I hit post. Wonder if artificial intelligence could ever alert us to my kind of lapses?

Re: Reliving History

Still Raining — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 14:49:54 GMT

A few years ago I read a book about 1918, and still recall how the differences between the city's responses played out. A lesson there.

Re: Reliving History

SXMGirl — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 14:58:41 GMT

History does repeat itself and we should take the lessons seriously. It is important that there is a unified approach across the country and the message should not be that it is okay to be out today doing whatever you want, but tomorrow you need to follow these directions or people will die. I do not want to hear that today it is okay to be out in a crowd as long as I wear a mask, but tomorrow we are closing all businesses. To me, that is hypocritical. Consistency in everything is usually what works.

Re: Reliving History

Group 5 minus 1 — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 15:04:06 GMT

My Mom remembered seeing her baby brother in his crib dead from the Spanish Flu.

Re: Reliving History

hckynut — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 15:31:09 GMT

@SoX wrote:
"Exceptional times require exceptional leadership" ... we didn't have it then ... we don't have it now.

@SoX

REALLY?

hckynut 🇺🇸

Re: Reliving History

SoX — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 15:43:43 GMT

@hckynut wrote:
@SoX wrote:
"Exceptional times require exceptional leadership" ... we didn't have it then ... we don't have it now.

@SoX

REALLY?

hckynut 🇺🇸

Yes, John ... I stand by what I said

Re: Reliving History

suzyQ3 — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 16:54:05 GMT

@SXMGirl wrote:
History does repeat itself and we should take the lessons seriously. It is important that there is a unified approach across the country and the message should not be that it is okay to be out today doing whatever you want, but tomorrow you need to follow these directions or people will die. I do not want to hear that today it is okay to be out in a crowd as long as I wear a mask, but tomorrow we are closing all businesses. To me, that is hypocritical. Consistency in everything is usually what works.

@SXMGirl, it's too late for that. We have to go it alone and hope that there are some strong incentives for people to adhere to all the good advice.

Re: Reliving History

Hoovermom — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 17:09:12 GMT

Greatest country in the world....proud to be an American. I'm with you @hckynut .

Re: Reliving History

sunshine45 — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 19:01:55 GMT

@Hoovermom wrote:
Greatest country in the world....proud to be an American. I'm with you @hckynut .

@Hoovermom

just because you are proud to be an american doesnt have to mean you are also proud of the decisions being made.....or NOT being made..... or being proud of the people at the helm.

Re: Reliving History

Drythe — Sat, 04 Jul 2020 20:11:41 GMT

@hckynut wrote:
@SoX wrote:
"Exceptional times require exceptional leadership" ... we didn't have it then ... we don't have it now.

@SoX

REALLY?

hckynut 🇺🇸

@hckynut

@Hoovermom

I am a PATRIOT.

I have ALWAYS been proud to claim the USA as the place of my birth, and will continue to do so.

I think the human and capital lose we have experienced and the resulting pain, suffering, and long term damage could have been significantly reduced and mitigated if we had had, and implemented, a robust national plan with national leadership back in MARCH.

In no way does that make me LESS of a Patriot.

🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸