My mom was born into the flu pandemic of 1918...
She was always afraid of respiratory illness in general and within the family in particular. Interestingly, no one in our large extended family succumbed to the flu even though it decimated the block upon which she lived.
When I was growing up I suffered from chronic, recurring bronchitis. What they would do for me was give me penicillin G injections in my butt, they were what they called “oil depot” in those days: it was an exquisitely painful injection given very slowly and very deep. (I believe they use an aqueous solution now). It was agonizing both during and after. But that was just the beginning...
Then I was basically imprisoned in what they called a steam tent. They would tie broom handles at the corners of the bed and drape a rubber sheet over it. Then they would run a KAZ vaporizer with Vick’s into the cocoon continuously for days. I lived under the rubber sheet and except for bowel movements which were maybe once a day, was not allowed out. The volume of sweating and water replacement was unbelievable: I would urinate into an old fashioned glass milk bottle (anyone remember those ?) and would call someone to pick it up, empty it, and return it for the next use. Any wonder that I’m horribly claustrophobic?
Such was primitive medicine in the 1960’s and before. Now we are faced with a situation where modern innovations are not sufficient in number to care for the potential masses of the ill. There are very few individuals remaining who know these primitive methods of managing lung disease or any other condition. Certainly it is highly preferable to use modern techniques and medications but what if they’re not available? What if the hospitals are overflowing and the scene resembles the panorama in Gone With The Wind, where the injured and dying are spread over the entire square at the train depot? We have not had to face mass casualties of this nature in our lifetimes. Will we be prepared? The answer is : obviously not.
As a post-script: other children whom I knew of died in my day from today’s simply-cured diseases and conditions. We have come a long way in our treatment modalities but the diseases and their sequelae are the same. Left untreated, or treated primitively, the rate of morbidity and mortality is going to go through the roof. Preparation is and was key: these people deliberately ignored the warnings and are thus guilty of genocide should this progress to the critical level, and right now, there is no reason to believe that it won’t.
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