1918 influenza pandemic

The 1918 influenza pandemic was a worldwide pandemic spread by H1N1 influenza virus which is believed to have spread through as much as a fourth of the world's population and to have killed tens of millions between January 1918 and December 1920. Though the origin of the outbreak is not known for certain, the disease was popularly called the "Spanish influenza" or "Spanish flu", partly because reports of the high death toll in Spain had not been censored as they had from other parts of the world.

The effectiveness of the virus itself was compounded by the ongoing Great War and the spread of other infections through ill-equipped sick wards and military camps.

Reported cases

Confident reports of H1N1 cases in Jefferson County began to appear in the first week of October 1918. By Monday October 7 four deaths were attributed to the epidemic in the course of two days, and 50 new cases were reported that morning. Jefferson County Health Officer J. D. Dowling stated his suspicion that many more cases had not been reported because they had either not been attended by a physician, or even if they had, physicians had been working non-stop without finding time to submit reports.

By the next afternoon, six more deaths had been recorded and another 284 cases reported, bringing the total number of reported cases above 1,000. Downing continued to believe that there were probably 10 unreported cases for each that was reported countywide.

Official responses

The Birmingham Board of Education closed city schools for two weeks beginning on Tuesday, October 8, and the same action was taken by Jefferson County Schools and the Bessemer Board of Education.

Dowling]worked with the Jefferson County Board of Health, the Birmingham City Commission, and the City Attorney to draft a public health ordinance that would force theaters, churches and places of public assembly to shut down, as well as to cancel the ongoing 1918 Alabama State Fair. In his address to the City Commission, Downing referred to the reduced capacity of medical aid due to the war effort and stated that, "the only way of limiting the disease is to limit the public gatherings." Another physician and member of the Alabama Board of Health, D. F. Talley, communicated that U.S. Surgeon General Rupert Blue had recommended that all places of assembly be closed temporarily. He concluded that, "it is serious to close these places, but it will be a thousand times more serious to let them operate and not close them."

Speaking on behalf of the State Fair Association, Victor Hanson pledged to abide by the Commission's decision, but also touted efforts made to "sprinkle the grounds with an antiseptic to kill the germs," and the establishment of an on-site hospital tent. Attorney B. M. Allen made a case that the Lyric Theatre was doing "war work" through the presentation of newsreels and advertising war bonds, and that it was well ventilated. By contrast, the management of the Strand Theatre and associated houses told the Commission that they would close, "whether an ordinance was passed or not," and would no reopen until the Board of Health proclaimed that it was safe to do so. Similarly the manager of Loew's Bijou said that his theater had not opened that day and, "would be opened when all danger is over and not before." The managers of the Alcazar, Colonial, Odeon One, Odeon Two, PrincessTheatre, Rialto and Trianon theaters followed suit.

The orders did not affect public transportation or business houses, but Dowling warned that, "exposure to other persons in crowded cars and in closed rooms and poorly ventilated quarters will exact a heavy toll of sickness," and urged the public to take, "drastic steps" to protect themselves and others. Anyone with any symptoms was requested to remain isolated from others until the symptoms were relieved.

References

• Forrester, F. S. (October 7, 1918) "Influenza Causes Board to Declare Fortnight Holiday." The Birmingham News, p. 1