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Thursday, 28 March 2024

What Happened After Lifting Spanish Flu Restrictions

Credit: KMTV Action 3 News
Duration: 03:10s 0 shares 1 views

What Happened After Lifting Spanish Flu Restrictions
What Happened After Lifting Spanish Flu Restrictions

What happened in Omaha after restrictions were lifted following the Spanish Flu pandemic.

YEARS AGO ANOTHERPANDEMIC WASTAKING PLACE...THE SPANISH FLU HADKILLED THOUSANDSAND INFECTED MANYOTHERS ACROSS THENATION.OMAHA WAS HITHARD BY IT, BUTEVENTUALLYRESTRICTIONS WERELIFTED, WHEN CASESSTARTED TO DECLINE.BUT AS REPORTERJOHN MADDEN FOUNDOUT, THE OPPOSITEOF WHAT EVERYONEHOPED FOR...STARTED HAPPENING,CAUSING SOMECONCERN FOR OURCURRENT DAYSITUATIONNATS TRAFFICAROUND OMAHA ISBUSIER THAN IT'SBEEN IN RECENTWEEKS NATS ASPARTS OF THE CITYHAVE RE-OPENED "IMEAN IT'S ADIFFERENT PANDEMICBUT WE'VE KIND OFBEEN THROUGH THISBEFORE." BACK IN1918 OMAHA WASDEALING WITH THEDEADLY SPANISH FLU,WHICH SPREAD JUSTLIKE COVID-19THROUGH DROPLETSIN THE AIR THE FIRSTCASES WEREREPORTED IN THEBEGINNING OFOCTOBERRESTRICTIONS WERE PUT INTOPLACE SHORTLYAFTER, THEATERS,SCHOOLS, ANDRESTAURANTSCLOSED, ANDPEOPLE WEREENCOURAGED TOSTAY HOME "BY THEEND OF OCTOBER1918, PEOPLE TIREDOF THERESTRICTIONS." DAVIDBRISTOW OF HISTORYNEBRASKA SAYS ONCECASES AND DEATHSSTARTED DROPPINGRESTRICTIONS WERELIFTED ON NOVEMBER1ST AS LONG ASPEOPLE FOLLOWEDSOCIAL DISTANCING,AND PLACES LIKETHEATERS WERE NOTRUNNING AT FULLCAPACITY "BUTIMMEDIATELY THETHEATERS WERE FULLAND PEOPLE WEREGOING OUT TORESTAURANTS ANDPEOPLE STARTEDBEHAVING AS IFEVERYTHING WASBACK TO NORMAL.THEN THERE WAS ABIG CELEBRATION ONNOVEMBER 11TH, FORARMISTICE DAY, THEEND OF WWI, AND THECASESSTARTEDGOING UP AGAIN."AFTER 30 NEW CASESAND 11 DEATHSHAPPENED IN ONEDAY IN MID-DECEMBER, THELOCAL HEALTHCOMMISSIONER, E.T.MANNING,CONSIDEREDRESTRICTIONS AGAIN"ONCE YOU HAVELOOSENED THERESTRICTIONS YOUHAVE A VERY HARDTIMEPSYCHOLOGICALLYTRYING TO GETPEOPLE TO ACCEPTTHEM AGAIN." MARYLYONS-CARMONAWITH THE HISTORYDEPARTMENT AT UNOSAYS MANNING FACEDPOLITICAL FALLOUTFROM THAT IDEA, ANDTHEREFORE CHOSETO NOT PUTRESTRICTIONS BACKIN PLACE "NONE OFTHE POLITICIANSWANTED TO BE THEBAD GUYS AND SAYNOPE WE HAVE TO GOBACK BECAUSE WE'RESEEING A SURGE INDEATHS." ONE THINGTHAT DID CHANGEWAS ORDNANCES,PASSED IN JANUARYTHAT FINED PEOPLE$15 TO $100 WHOWERE INQUARANTINE, FORLEAVING THEIRHOMES "$15 DOLLARSDOESN'T SOUND LIKEMUCH IN TODAY'SMONEY BUT THATWOULD BE ACONSIDERABLETHREAT FORSOMEBODY IN 1918."BOTH BRISTOW ANDLYONS CARMONAAGREE, WHEN PLACESOPEN UP CAPACITYRULES LIKE NEED TOBE ENFORCED,SOCIAL DISTANCING ISA MUST, AND THINGSLIKE MASKS WHICHWERE FROWNEDUPON BACK IN 1918,ARE STILL NECESSARY"IF YOU'RE SAVINGSOMEONE'S LIFE, ALITTLE DISCOMFORTIS WORTH THAT." INOMAHA JOHN MADDEN3NNNEARLY ONETHOUSAND PEOPLE INOMAHA DIED FROMTHE SPANISH FLU.LYONS-CARMONASAYS HEALTHCOMMISSIONERMANNING, WHO WASFRUSTRATED FROMTHE FALLOUT OF NOTBEING ABLE TO PUTRESTRICTIONS BACKIN PLACE, DIDN'TCLASSIFY ALL THEDEATHS AS FLURELATED.INSTEAD SOME WEREAS A RESULT OFFEVER OR A SEVERECOLD, LEAVING SOMETO WONDER HOWMANY MORE PEOPLEACTUALLY DIED FROMTHE VIRUS.

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