In a commentary this morning on MSNBC, Tom Brokaw says that South Dakota Governor Peter Norbeck saved many lives during the influenza epidemic of 1918 by shutting down “the entire state, including the business districts of the two largest cities,” while today’s Governor refuses to take any such actions against a pandemic that is worse that any natural disaster South Dakota has faced:
A 2005 article from the South Dakota State Historical Society describes the actions Norbeck’s State Board of Health took to fight the surging 1918 pandemic with its October 16, 1918, shutdown order:
Throughout the state, churches, theatres, schools, pool halls, parlors and other public gathering places were closed indefinitely. The flu escalated to the point that the superintendent of the South Dakota Board of Health declared that, “In any community where the disease is prevalent, public gatherings of all kinds are forbidden.” Individuals who had any symptoms of the flu were asked to refrain from public gatherings of any kind. Public drinking cups and towels were prohibited. People were forbidden to congregate at train depots, requiring patrons to buy their train tickets one person at a time.
The Red Cross was also employed to “supplying nursing personnel, nursing supplies, and performing such other duties as the public health officer shall call on them to do.” The University of South Dakota closed its doors in mid-October to stall the spread of the flu. In Rapid City, the mayor decreed that all funerals must be conducted in the “open air,” to prevent the spread of the flu at funerals. Finally, in some cities a doctor’s note was required as proof that you had fully recovered from the flu, thus allowing you to walk in public.
“It would be safe to say that the state went through a period of organized chaos,” Reitzel said. “Civic officials were trying any and every means necessary to end the spread of the flu” [Matthew T. Reitzel, South Dakota State Historical Society, “1918 Flu Pandemic in South Dakota Remembered,” not dated, but refers to 1918 epidemic taking place “87 years ago,” so assume publication 2005].
While current elected officials wring their hands over the supposed impossibility of enforcing mask wearing and other public health measures, our great-grandparents had no trouble laying down the law to protect lives from cooties:
One of the best examples was in Rapid City. The Home Guard (the equivalent of today’s National Guard) roamed through the streets of Rapid City, fining and arresting people who were not abiding by the cities newly created “sanitation laws.” City residence were fined or arrested for “expectorating” (spitting) on the sidewalks of Rapid City. As the local paper noted, “The Guard will be out in full force today to see that there is no breaking of the quarantine regulations.” On October 27, 1918, one Rapid City man was charged with “flagrant violation of the anti-spitting ordinance.” Even a Rapid City police officer was arrested by the Home Guard for violating the anti-spitting ordinance and paid the customary fine of $6 [Reitzel, 2005].
Reitzel notes that Governor Norbeck still got the flu in late November in Wyoming (Governor! Stay safe and stay home!) and was laid up in the hospital in Deadwood for a few days. Governor Norbeck survived, but 1,847 South Dakotans died of the 1918 influenza outbreak in just the last three months of that year. That’s a notably higher death count and per-population rate than we are experiencing now under coronavirus… but we also have a century of medical new medical knowledge and practice under our belts.
But somehow, South Dakota’s governor a century ago and leaders elsewhere in 1918 America had the sense to shut down public gatherings and prevent a worse death toll.
It looks like common sense went out the window after 1918. By the way I talked with God last night and I asked what he or her thought about South Dakota and he or she said I don’t know what to think, I’VE NEVER BEEN THERE.
There is no god, which is good because we don’t want him here. On a side note, the rumors are swirling that the minions of Mr. Ravnsborg are starting to burrow in, digging into hidy-holes of state government where they can keep on when Mr. Ravnsborg’s head rolls. One must wonder if these minions or of the overgodding sort, insaner than most, or deep-staters.
This virus is simply not as deadly as the Spanish Flu. Noem could set an example of caution and good judgment, but she’s doing the opposite. Lindsey Graham said 80% of the people in Washington would sell out their mother to keep their jobs, like he went on to do. The same thing happens everywhere though when people sense relationships are a liability, unless they’re family, they almost always distance themselves out of self preservation. Politics aside, Ravnsborg deserves to be treated just as fairly as anyone else.
Stop that dude. This virus is every bit as deadly as the Spanish Flu. We are just living in a more advanced world where there are some treatments available that work…if ya got the money. This virus is just as deadly and it’s numbers have not even been finished yet. We don’t know how long this virus was percolating in human kind until we “discovered” it in China. This virus was already making it’s debut in the Italy and Spain before that, so say the sanitation tests.
We also don’t know the full nefariousness Noem is up to keeping Jason in the Trumpism fold with his elector status; his amicus status before SCOTUS, and now this camouflage poison pill her legislature will act on by “Arthur Taylor” amending the SD
constitution.
Trump and Noem are still in office, dude.
“It took just 17 days to go from 50 million cases to 60 million, compared with the 21 days it took to go from 40 million to 50 million. Around 580,000 cases have been reported each day over the past week and around half of all cases since the start of the pandemic were reported over the past 70 days.
In Europe, 1 million new cases were recorded over just five days, for a total of more than 16 million cases, including 365,000 deaths.
The global death toll has passed 1.4 million and the US has the highest tally with more than 262,000 deaths.”
Spanish Flu: “Lasting from February 1918 to April 1920, it infected 500 million people-about a third of the world’s population at the time-in four successive waves.”
We don’t even have a year in yet. Here is how the two killers are alike https://www.health.com/condition/infectious-diseases/how-are-spanish-flu-and-covid-19-alike
I too question both the accuracy and relevence of the idea that “This virus is simply not as deadly as the Spanish Flu,” (which I have heard from more than one person attempting to diminish the danger and seriousness of the COVID 19 virus). An objective analysis shows this to be a false equivalency.
While it is a historical fact that after the Spanish flu had finally run its course, the number of deaths throughout the world was higher than the current death toll for COVID 19 virus, several factors make that comparison relatively meaningless. First, for example. medical science and technology for saving lives was substantially less developed during the Spanish flu epidemic. Physicians explain in a November 17, 2020, article:
Comparison of the relative rate of deaths to the expected mortality rates arguably gives more accurate information. Indeed, one analysis indicated:
https://www.contagionlive.com/view/new-analysis-shows-1918-flu-covid19-had-similar-mortality-impacts
In addition, as of this month, November 2020, COVID 19 has neither been contained nor run its course, which makes comparisons of the final total number of deaths impossible and of no use at this point in time. Thus, the above November article linked first has the caveat:
Perhaps even more significant, however, is the silliness and irrelevance of the comparison. Simply because more people may have become seriously ill or die from one particular illness does nothing to lessen the pain experienced by victims and their families who become seriously illness or death from a different illness. Just because more women die from heart disease, for example, doesn’t provide any rational reason to minimize steps we take to avoid sickness and death from cancer.
I forgot to put in the first link. No problem, Jerry beat me to it! The first link I quoted from twice is the same as the link he posted just before my comment.
Activist wingnut spotus jumped in to do their part to help fight the fight against the people fighting the pandemic in New York. Just before midnight last, the scotus ruled that Guv Cuomo cannot order churches and mosques to shut down to prevent large gatherings.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/coronavirus/ct-nw-supreme-court-new-york-covid-restrictions-20201126-k7goseftdzf23bydm7tn6hc36e-story.html
Roberts joined liberal dissenters.
From the article above; “Amy Coney Barrett plays a decisive role.” Because – God – my daddy says.
Who says her religious beliefs will play no role in her legal decisions? No one with any understanding of how individual bias permeates the human mind.
Nothing speaks higher of religion than gathering and infecting one another with the plague. Funeral masses are kinda cool with that incense burning. I think they should consider using patchouli oil though for the smoke.
Peter Norbeck was a true leader who put the best interests of South Dakota above his personal interests. Gov. Cruella de Noem is the opposite. May future histories accurately conclude that she belongs among the worst of South Dakota governors.
So just above Gov. Bulow on the list, then?
drumpf/noem personalized body count will be at or near 270k bodies by this evening.
United States
Coronavirus Cases:
13,197,307
Deaths:
268,949
The worst hoax ever, imho. compliments of incompetence and negligent stoopidity on the part of the ruling class of wingnuts.
Then perhaps you need to read more about the Spanish Flu. It impacted the healthiest people most, caused their immune system to attack their own body and often die in three days. It’s a very different virus. That said it begs us to understand this virus accurately. After surviving Covid there can be long lasting effects and why would we want to spread it to others? Especially those most at risk. The Danish study supports that those wearing masks most protect others than themselves. That’s gonna be a hard sell in our state with the example Noem has set in her allegiance to Trump, so it means you have to use your best judgment to protect you and your family.
It is not clear who happy is telling to read more about the Spanish flu, but I will make a dangerous assumption that happy’s comment may be in response to two of Jerry’s comments and my comment at 2020-11-26 at 09:23.
Either way I don’t understand the point. Both Jerry’s comments and my comment addressed comparisons about the rate and number of deaths from each disease, especially in light of the different technology available in each era and the fact that COVID 19 is stilling killing people. In addition, I expressed the opinion that comparisons were not only inaccurate but that they made no rational sense from the perspective of people harmed by COVID 19.
So I ask happy what information has been overlooked or is available by reading more about the Spanish flu that might dispell these points?
It is clear that the Spanish flu symptoms and progression were not identical to COVID 19. Whether in the end that will show that Spanish flu resulted in a higher rate of deaths or more overall deaths than COVID19 remains to be seen. Likewise, whether a healthy individual that died relatively quickly in only 3 days from Spanish flu had a worse experience than some frail individual that suffered for a few weeks on a ventilator before dying of COVID 19 seems a matter of personal experience rather than an objective fact providing evidence of relative “deadliness.” What have we missed?
Suffering IS suffering-right BCB? In SD, dying patients tell their nurses, “I can’t believe it- I can’t be dying of Covid! My heroes told me it is a hoax!”
From Mother Jones… https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/11/the-gops-covid-response-give-me-liberty-and-give-me-death/
Should be epitaph for wingnut guvs.
Exactly Jake!
I have not read about long term effects from the Spanish Flu because it is different than the covid19 virus. What covid19 brings to the table, may last forever so we may never know the true fatality rate.
“Most people who have coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) recover completely within a few weeks. But some people — even those who had mild versions of the disease — continue to experience symptoms after their initial recovery.
These people sometimes describe themselves as “long haulers” and the condition has been called post-COVID-19 syndrome or “long COVID-19.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-long-term-effects/art-20490351
Heartless, needlessly cruel, sub human covid deniers make suffering worse for the general public.
Covid19 will be around forever. So we will have to immunize just like we do for polio and our new born will need to be inoculated as well. The Spanish Flu came and went. This covid will be part of us forever.
“COVID-19 will likely become endemic, meaning it will be a virus that’s around forever. Experts say that a COVID-19 vaccine and other tools will help us gain control over viral transmission and lessen the threat of the virus, which will help us get back to some sense of normal.” https://www.verywellhealth.com/covid-19-will-it-be-endemic-5083869
Wear your masks kiddo’s and wash your widdle digits with much vigor…a lot. Stay your distance and keep out of the crowds. Oh, and IMPEACH GNOem, she’s a killer bee.
West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) says “We don’t want to be South Dakota”. Get a load of the mayor of Sioux Falls, he an GNOem should get a room, what a couple of knot heads. https://crooksandliars.com/2020/11/west-virginia-govenor-we-dont-want-be
Spanish Flu in California 1918 “REFUSED TO WEAR MASK–IS SHOT DOWN
H.D. Miller, a deputy health officer, shot and severely wounded James Wisser, a horseshoer, in front of a downtown drug store early today, following Willer’s refusal to don an influenza mask.
California1918”
California, in 1918, was a wee bit tougher on perpetrators than Rapid City Home Guard. Wear that mask!!