With the Coronavirus-19, this nation and the world are currently in the throes of the most serious health emergency since the great Spanish Influenza Pandemic of 1918. It might be interesting to look back at that earlier pandemic.

According to a Stanford University website, the flu epidemic of 1918 may have had its origins in China “in a rare genetic shift of the influenza virus, a virulent subtype of the N1H1 Swine Flu. The recombination of its surface proteins created a virus novel to almost everyone and loss of herd immunity.” It got its name the Spanish Influenza because of an early outbreak in Spain that took a large number of lives.

The flu epidemic in this country came in two waves, the first coming in the spring of 1918 in Kansas and in military camps throughout the US. Few noticed the epidemic in the midst of the Great War — World War I — 1914-1918.

The next and deadliest wave began in September 1918. This was the wave that would victimize the people of this area.

In the local newspapers of the time, there was no mention of the epidemic occurring locally until September 30, 1918. The reports that did appear were wire reports of the epidemic occurring at Army camps and cities throughout the East coast.

On that date, a small item noted that a train containing local draftees from Williamsport departing for Fort Thomas for processing might be delayed because of the influenza epidemic.

On that same date was a story about a local man, Harry Cohn, who had died of pneumonia at Camp Lee. Pneumonia was basically the end stage of the flu and was what caused most of the deaths during the epidemic.

It can be speculated that perhaps the early minimal reportage of the flu epidemic was seen as a war measure meant to not incite any panic that might impede the local war effort in factories and bond drives.

By October 4, 1918, the flu epidemic in Pennsylvania, and locally, had become so serious that state health officials ordered the closure of various public facilities and gatherings. Williamsport officials followed suit on that date when the Williamsport Board of Health ordered the closure of all theaters, movie houses, saloons, bars, clubs, lodges, churches, and schools, and banned all public gatherings and sporting events.

Dr. Charles Youngman, the county health officer, said the move would help “to lessen the spread of the flu because of the close association of human beings especially in meetings of all kinds where the ventilation is poor, and this is the proper thing to do. This epidemic has spread all over the city.”

Dr. William Hogg, the pastor at the First Presbyterian Church, suggested on October 5, that all families should hold their own services and have prayers in their own homes.

There were some violations in the closing order by several hotels and drinking establishments; several were cited by police for continuing to serve liquor from their premises, including the dispensing of beer and other intoxicants to people who would come in with pitchers and other vessels to be filled.

There was also some controversy as to the reports of the number of cases of the flu occurring.

At a meeting of the Williamsport Board of Health on October 7, all physicians were directed to report each day the number of new flu cases that came to them for treatment.

By October 12, Dr. Clarence Shaw of the local Department of Health claimed that many physicians were underreporting their flu figures. Dr. Charles Youngman reported that there were at least 1,000 flu cases locally and that the number might be somewhat low.

The local YWCA started making gauze masks for people to wear to help halt the spread of the flu. They were made in 24 inches by 18-inch settings with tape fastening the four corners of the mask.

On October 17, the sale of ice cream and soda as dispensed at refreshment establishments in Williamsport was banned because of the epidemic.

By the first week of November, the flu epidemic statewide and locally seemed to be abating. With that in mind, on November 6, the closing order of October 4 was lifted for all public places.

Dr. Shaw advised the local Board of Education once schools opened, to have them inspect all pupils for any signs of flu, including sending students home that had colds until they were better.

The Trinity Parish House of Trinity Episcopal Church was used to house children convalescing from the flu or those who had parents who had the flu themselves. The effort at Trinity was praised widely locally but strained the coffers of the church, and a fundraising bazaar was held on November 16 that raised about $1,500.

The lifting of the gloom of the influenza epidemic was culminated by the celebration of the armistice ending World War I, on November 11. A great celebratory parade involving thousands of people was held downtown. The people with a sense of relief could well have also been celebrating the seeming passing of the flu peril.

Flu cases continued to linger into early 1919 locally and across the east, but the worst was over.

Locally, there are no certain statistics of those who had the flu during that awful epidemic, but it estimated that least 2,000 may have had the flu and that several hundred may have died from it.

The final toll worldwide for the 1918-1919 flu epidemic is estimated to be at between 20 and 40 million people. An estimated 676,000 of these were Americans.

Looking back to 1918 can perhaps give us a lesson to the prudence of taking proper precautions to protect ourselves against the current emergency. It appears that governments at all levels have taken many of the lessons of that previous pandemic to heart and may, in the long run, prevent us from a repeat of that awful time.