How Christmas went in the midst of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic

Despite finally signaling the end of World War I Christmas In 1918, few things were found that had a lot to celebrate.

The three festive seasons of 1915, 1916 and 1917 have been unimaginably difficult. For both the frontline fighting army and the loved ones left at home.

And by the arrival of December, the country was already suffering from a deadly Spanish flu epidemic, the second mutation wave of which recently devastated much of the population.

However, as the important day approached and the death toll began to decline gradually, people faced the difficult decision to meet with their loved ones for a vacation or stay at home. safety.

And it is impossible to see the speed at which the Spanish flu escalated and its negative impact on society in the early 20th century, and no further complete resemblance to the Spanish flu can be found. Coronavirus pandemic It will continue to swallow us in 2020.

Sure, there was no such thing as a central charge Blockade We experienced this year-the reaction at the time fell to each municipality and was largely uncoordinated-many cinemas, theaters, dancehalls, churches and schools also closed their doors for long periods of time.

Many companies also struggled, doctors and hospitals were overwhelmed, and many companies converted their wards to meet the demands of flu victims.

Seasonal events such as carol services and nativity plays have been canceled or postponed until the following year, but unlike the current pre-Christmas beer ban in pubs across the country by the Wales government, they are already exposed to wartime restrictions. The drinking area that was being used was largely unaffected.

In addition, a campaign has been launched to encourage the use of soap and avoiding crowded areas as a way to combat the virus, while advising against shaking hands and kissing. Antibacterial masks (very often thin gauze) were also worn.

Nonetheless, the entire family continued to get sick, and husbands and wives, parents and children all died within a day or two of the onset of symptoms.

When spread by sneezing or coughing, the victim’s lungs are filled with fluid, breathing is difficult, and the face, lips, and ears become blue. This is a process known as cyanosis.

As a result, the demand for burial sites has skyrocketed.

A pandemic caused by the H1N1 virus, which spreads from wild waterfowl to humans, was killed at a rate that surprised medical personnel at the time. Remember that it will take another 30 years for the NHS and the modern welfare state to bear fruit.

Similarly, the first flu vaccine was still about 20 years away, so the condition and survival rate was much worse than it is today.

Influenza began to settle in the southeastern valley of Wales in July 1918, with mortality rates of up to 15.9 per 1,000 people per week.

Swansea was lower at the time, killing 4.3 per 1,000 people in a week.

By October / November 1918, Cardiff’s mortality peaked at 38.3 per 1,000 and Swansea peaked at 37.9 in the worst week.

The areas most affected were Ogmore and Garu, with a weekly mortality rate of 106 per 1,000 in November 1918. This week alone, 57 people died in these two valleys. This was the highest mortality rate of the week anywhere in England or Wales.

However, in Maesteg, the overall mortality rate during the pandemic was much lower, 2.1 per 1,000, for a total of 50.

Ultimately, Wales’ overall mortality rate is calculated to be up to 11,400, with an estimated 50 million and 100 million astounding deaths worldwide.

Some scientists believe it originated in the U.S. military, which was later deployed in Europe and helped spread it, and was lucky enough to survive the horrors of trenches before the truce document was drafted. Was overthrown.

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And those casualties will continue after peace is achieved-some have returned to Wales to die within hours or days of the onset of symptoms.

However, reports in the UK while the conflict was still intensifying were significantly minimized to protect public morale and prevent large-scale panic.

Indeed, only Spain, which remained neutral in World War I, was able for journalists to write about it, thanks to the lack of state-licensed censorship.

And the resulting excess of viral talk created the false impression that the country was hit particularly hard-hence it was called the “Spanish flu”.

Still, some treatises here still referred to it-the following cartoonists downplayed the inconsistent and inconsistent nature of the advice-warmly wrapped in gargling salt water, “worst. Stay in bed until the situation is over. “

On June 22, 1918, a report by The Cambria Daily Leader, entitled “Unwelcome Spanish Visitors Reach Swansea,” states: (Weakness), you caught it – rather it caught you.

“Ordinary flu creeps on you. A new breed has jumps. One attacks you like an enthusiastic wolf: the other springs at you like a lion.”

Nevertheless, by the end of 1918, some normality had begun to return, and some newspapers reported that the store was busier than ever by Christmas day.

Theaters and churches have begun to reopen, and public transportation has slowly recovered.

All of this undoubtedly contributed to another big spike in the spring of 1919, before the disease finally disappeared. Another mutation, like the one that strengthened it earlier, ultimately weakened its impact on the population.

The previous huge infection rate may also have meant that people have developed immunity to it.

And 102 years later, we stand at the exact same crossroads and ask the exact same questions. “Is it a good idea to be vigilant right now before the vaccine is fully deployed? Trust in turkey and trimming?”

Over time, you’ll see what the answer will be.