Lorain Hit Hard by Spanish Flu – 1918

In view of what we’ve all been going through with the Coronavirus, here’s an interesting article that appeared in the huge 125th Anniversary Edition of the Lorain Journal back on July 18, 1959.

It’s a look back at how the 1918 flu epidemic affected Lorain from the perspective of Armistice Day, November 11, 1918.

World War I had just ended, and the “Spanish” influenza was epidemic was winding down as well. Churches were once again going to be open for worship after being closed for nearly a month.

But the flu had hit Lorain hard. As the article notes, “There were more than 200 deaths out of the 2,500 Lorain “flu” cases reported.

Here’s the article. (Click on it for a larger view.)

The whole affair is eerily reminiscent of today’s pandemic, with its mention of women making ‘flu masks,’ light traffic on the streets, and the fact that “the health authorities’ chief concern was to get people to stay home and not mingle with their friends or neighbors, so as the check the spread of the contagion.”

****

However you feel about the current situation with the Coronavirus or wearing masks, it’s interesting to see how the same issues were being raised during the “Spanish” flu epidemic in 1918. 

Here is a link to a  collection of great articles on history.com. Interestingly,  it's pointed out that despite the name, the “Spanish” flu did not originate in Spain at all.