Governments, local, state and federal, are attempting to slow and contain the spread of the Virus with curfews, stay-at- home orders, quarantines and shuttering businesses considered "non-essential" for the survival of the population. Large numbers are without work. Many people are desparate, others are scard, and some, the most dangerous indeed, could not care one way or another.
This may be the first time our generation has experienced this kind of clamping down, but it's not the first time our area or our country has experienced this severe and deadly of a pandemic. It happened in the late 19 - teens.
The following paragraph comes from the CDC.
The 1918 influenza pandemic was the most severe pandemic in recent history. It was caused by an H1N1 virus with genes of avian origin. Although there is not universal consensus regarding where the virus originated, it spread worldwide during 1918-1919. In the United States, it was first identified in military personnel in spring 1918. It is estimated that about 500 million people or one-third of the world’s population became infected with this virus. The number of deaths was estimated to be at least 50 million worldwide with about 675,000 occurring in the United States.
https://www.cdc.gov/
Locally, I can recall my Grandma Thompson, who was born in 1899 and would have been 19 years old, telling me how people would see a farmer plowing his field and would walk far, far out to the edge of the pasture to avoid human contact.
The following poem was written about this era by a man from Waynesville, NC named Jesse Daniel Boone.
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The Carolina Mountaineer and Waynesville CourierWaynesville, North Carolina17 Oct 1918, Thu • Page 3
If that sounds familiar, then this should too. Human behavior has changed little if none, I'll go with none. Just as the home remedies and misinformation comes out of the woodwork, it did then as well.
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The Charlotte ObserverCharlotte, North Carolina24 Oct 1918, Thu • Page 6How similar to this facebook post that has been circulating for the past couple of weeks. FYI this one is no more helpful than the one above and its remedies are as scientifically unproven, in other words....BOGUS.
Doctors are reporting they now understand the behavior of the COVID 19 virus due to autopsies that they have carried out. This virus is characterized by obstructing respiratory pathways with thick mucus that solidifies and blocks the airways and lungs. So they have discovered that in order to apply a medicine you have to open and unblock these airways so that the treatment can be used to take effect however all of this takes a number of days. Their recommendations for what you can do to safeguard yourself are ...
1) Drink lots of hot liquids - coffees, soups, teas, warm water. In addition take a sip of warm water every 20 minutes bc this keeps your mouth moist and washes any of the virus that’s entered your mouth into your stomach where your gastric juices will neutralize it before it can get to the lungs.
2) Gargle with an antiseptic and warm water like vinegar or salt or lemon every day if possible
3) The virus attaches itself to hair and clothes. And detergent or soap kills it but you must take bath or shower when you get in from the street. Avoid sitting down in your home and go straight to the shower. If you cannot wash your clothes daily, hang them in sunlight which also helps to neutralize the virus
4) Wash metallic surfaces very carefully bc the virus can stay viable on these for up to 9 days. Take note and be vigilant about touching hand rails, door knobs, etc. and keep these clean in home home
5) Don’t smoke
6) Wash your hands every 20 minutes with any soap that foams and do this for 20 seconds
7) Eat fruits and vegetables. Try to elevate your zinc levelS
8)Animals do not spread the virus to people. Its a person to person transmission.
9)Try to avoid getting the common flu as this already weakens your system and try to avoid eating and drinking any cold things.
10) If you feel any discomfort in your throat or a sore throat coming on, attack it immediately using the above methods. The virus enters the system through the throat but will sit in the throat for 3-4 days before it passes into your lungs.
2) Gargle with an antiseptic and warm water like vinegar or salt or lemon every day if possible
3) The virus attaches itself to hair and clothes. And detergent or soap kills it but you must take bath or shower when you get in from the street. Avoid sitting down in your home and go straight to the shower. If you cannot wash your clothes daily, hang them in sunlight which also helps to neutralize the virus
4) Wash metallic surfaces very carefully bc the virus can stay viable on these for up to 9 days. Take note and be vigilant about touching hand rails, door knobs, etc. and keep these clean in home home
5) Don’t smoke
6) Wash your hands every 20 minutes with any soap that foams and do this for 20 seconds
7) Eat fruits and vegetables. Try to elevate your zinc levelS
8)Animals do not spread the virus to people. Its a person to person transmission.
9)Try to avoid getting the common flu as this already weakens your system and try to avoid eating and drinking any cold things.
10) If you feel any discomfort in your throat or a sore throat coming on, attack it immediately using the above methods. The virus enters the system through the throat but will sit in the throat for 3-4 days before it passes into your lungs.
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Winston-Salem JournalWinston-Salem, North Carolina10 Oct 1918, Thu • Page 7A stroll through any old cemetery in the county will show a large number of deaths in the Spanish Flu era, particularly those of small children.
Before it disolved, the Spanish Flu had killed nearly 14,000 people in North Carolina.So far, there are only 5 confirmed individuals who have tested positive and no deaths. Neighboring Montgomery County, with 7 positives, experienced it's first death today, a young Sheriff's Deputy. Other surrounding areas, with larger Urban areas, have it much worse. Infected by the spreading amoeba that is Charlotte, Mecklenburg County has 444, Union 47 and Cabarrus 45. Rowan to the North is at 45.The worse is yet to come. There will, in coming weeks, be more reports of positive tests. There will be some deaths. What we do now will control how many and will save lives. We've been through this before, over 100 years ago.
