That same day, city officials banned public gatherings, shut down entertainment venues and closed schools. Infections spread nonetheless, and leaders asked Angelenos to take more drastic measures – staying inside and using their phones to buy groceries and necessities – in a desperate attempt to keep people safe. Sadly, many of them foolishly ignored the advice.
In the absence of a vaccine for this new viral killer, city and health officials correctly concluded that social distancing policies to limit crowds were the wisest course of action. They disinfected public places and debated whether to require people to wear face masks in public as well.
This account could easily be a summary of the steps Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and county officials took in March 2020 to stop the spread of Covid-19.
But in fact, it’s from the fall of 1918, drawn from historical records and the Los Angeles Times archives. LA’s mayor was Frederick T Woodman, California’s governor was William D Stephens and the world was in the grip of the devastating influenza pandemic that would ultimately kill some 675,000 Americans and 50mn to 100mn people worldwide.
The pandemic of 1918 offers illuminating context about the extreme stress of a city and nation under lockdown – as well as a good measure of hope. It might feel like we’re in the grip of a never before seen plague, but we’re not. Social distancing isn’t some grand and economically risky experiment undertaken by overreacting public officials, but an old response to new contagions.
Of course, no one called it “social distancing” back in 1918. But the strategies that Los Angeles, Pasadena and other Southern California communities employed then to fight a virus for which there was no medication and little scientific understanding bear a great resemblance to those being tried now. Even the headlines seem familiar: “Governor urges all to combat epidemic” and “To mask or not to mask.”
Another eerie echo from 1918: Some American cities were more cavalier about their pandemic response, and their residents paid dearly for it.
Fast-acting cities not only avoided deaths; they also protected their economies.
Another lesson from 1918 is to not ease social distancing measures too soon. After seeing their efforts pay off, American cities lifted restrictions on the public, only to see the flu come roaring back to life in another deadly wave.
On March 27, President Donald Trump said, “This is a pandemic the likes of which nobody has seen before.”
Yes, the people have. They got through it then. And, with the help of time-tested social distancing measures, they will do so again. – Tribune News Service
