Woodstock Occurred in the Middle of a Pandemic

[JBT]

In my lifetime, there was another deadly flu epidemic in the United States. The flu spread from Hong Kong to the United States, arriving December 1968 and peaking a year later. It ultimately killed 100,000 people in the U.S., mostly over the age of 65, and one million worldwide.

Lifespan in the US in those days was 70 whereas it is 78 today. Population was 200 million as compared with 328 million today. It was also a healthier population with low obesity. If it would be possible to extrapolate the death data based on population and demographics, we might be looking at a quarter million deaths today from this virus. So in terms of lethality, it was as deadly and scary as COVID-19 if not more so, though we shall have to wait to see.

“In 1968,” says Nathaniel L. Moir in National Interest, “the H3N2 pandemic killed more individuals in the U.S. than the combined total number of American fatalities during both the Vietnam and Korean Wars.”




https://www.aier.org/article/woodsto...7Pw0aZA4Jxc5DE

[JBT]

Elvis Was King, Ike Was President, and 116,000 Americans Died in a Pandemic


The year was 1957.

Elvis’s new movie “Jailhouse Rock” was packing the theaters. The last episode of “I Love Lucy” aired on television. The show “West Side Story” held tryouts in Washington, D.C., and opened on Broadway in September. Ford’s new car the Edsel rolled off the assembly line. The Cold War with Russia was on and “In God We Trust” appeared on U.S. currency. The first Toys R Us store opened.

Also that year, the so-called Asian Flu killed 116,000 Americans. Here is the full summary from the Centers for Disease Control:




https://www.aier.org/article/elvis-w...7ui-4TJCzgqDW4

[Antonmb]

I don’t understand. These articles indicate that there were no coordinated government actions or shutdowns for these two pandemics, and the death rate was higher. Wouldn’t the logical conclusion be that the death rates might have been much lower had actions been taken?

Regardless I think Ivan has banned pandemic threads.

[JBT]

In the end wreaking the economy will be more devastating than the virus. All we've been doing is delaying the inevitable by locking down. We know who the virus attacks, Seniors with pre existing conditions and obese people with diabetes. Over 40 percent of the people who've died in New Orleans were overweight with diabetes. New Orleans is a hot spot for diabetes due to the fantastic rich food. Healthy people need to go back to work. Many will get sick but most of those infected will not show any symptoms. We need to start building heard immunity. That's the only way to burn the virus out. Protect the elderly and diabetics. .

[cleeds]

Originally Posted by JBT

In my lifetime, there was another deadly flu epidemic in the United States. The flu spread from Hong Kong to the United States, arriving December 1968 ...

I'm reluctant to enter this conversation but just to be clear, Covid 19 is not the flu.

AA is probably not a good place for discussion of this topic, but of course that's not my call.

[JBT]

It's a flu like virus. What we know from tests conducted by Stanford University is that 50 to 80 times more people are infected than confirmed cases. Most people infected don't even know they have it. They have antibodies. I"m waiting for an antibody test because in late March I felt really bad for a few days thinking it was just seasonal allergies. But when I checked the pollen count the molds that get me yearly were very low.

[1KW]

Originally Posted by Antonmb

I don’t understand. These articles indicate that there were no coordinated government actions or shutdowns for these two pandemics, and the death rate was higher. Wouldn’t the logical conclusion be that the death rates might have been much lower had actions been taken?

Regardless I think Ivan has banned pandemic threads.

The purpose of social distancing was not to decrease the mortality but to decrease the mortality rate so hospital ICU beds would not be overwhelmed by flattening the curve which also means you extend the curve as well. Mitigation has done the flattening of the curve but because it’s a curve we still only have experienced half the mortalities at the peak of the curve. While counter intuitive we need to open up the economy soon or that damage will lead to more death and devastating hardship.

[bart]

Originally Posted by 1KW

The purpose of social distancing was not to decrease the mortality but to decrease the mortality rate so hospital ICU beds would not be overwhelmed by flattening the curve which also means you extend the curve as well. Mitigation has done the flattening of the curve but because it’s a curve we still only have experienced half the mortalities at the peak of the curve. While counter intuitive we need to open up the economy soon or that damage will lead to more death and devastating hardship.

[Antonmb]

Originally Posted by 1KW

The purpose of social distancing was not to decrease the mortality but to decrease the mortality rate so hospital ICU beds would not be overwhelmed by flattening the curve which also means you extend the curve as well. Mitigation has done the flattening of the curve but because it’s a curve we still only have experienced half the mortalities at the peak of the curve. While counter intuitive we need to open up the economy soon or that damage will lead to more death and devastating hardship.

Yes, I don’t disagree at all. My only point was that the comparison to the two pandemics referenced seems to me to make the case for taking action. In both of those pandemics, there was nothing done to flatten the curve, and the deaths per capital were significantly higher. In the case of Covid-19, action was taken that likely flattened the curve in many areas, may have reduced the death toll, but certainly reduced the burden on the healthcare system.

Whether and where it’s time to open up now is a different subject.

[62caddy]

Originally Posted by JBT

In the end wreaking the economy will be more devastating than the virus. All we've been doing is delaying the inevitable by locking down. We know who the virus attacks, Seniors with pre existing conditions and obese people with diabetes. Over 40 percent of the people who've died in New Orleans were overweight with diabetes. New Orleans is a hot spot for diabetes due to the fantastic rich food. Healthy people need to go back to work. Many will get sick but most of those infected will not show any symptoms. We need to start building heard immunity. That's the only way to burn the virus out. Protect the elderly and diabetics. .