THE GREAT DYING: CINCINNATI ENDURES THE 1918 INFLUENZA PANDEMIC

In Cincinnati, influenza, also known as The Grip, or Spanish Grip, arrived in September. The Cincinnati Post [18 September 1918], with a headline “Spanish Grip Is With Us,”  sounded the alarm, but downplayed the seriousness of the situation:

“Spanish influenza, a germ disease which started a world-wide journey in Spain, has arrived in Cincinnati, it was announced by Dr. William H. Peters, acting health officer, Wednesday. Those catching it may derive consolation from the fact that the Germans have had it, too. The disease, which is more uncomfortable than serious, has affected several Cincinnatians, according to unofficial reports made to Dr. Peters by physicians.”

Within a few weeks, the deadly truth emerged. Patients suffering from influenza easily caught pneumonia and quickly died. A growing file of evidence demonstrated that infection spread rapidly from person to person. Cincinnati’s health department responded by ordering a general ban on public gatherings of all types. On Sunday, 6 October 1918, the Enquirer published orders from the Board of Health:

“Drastic measures were taken yesterday by the Cincinnati Board of Health to check the spread of influenza in Cincinnati and vicinity. By unanimous vote, the members adopted a resolution ordering the closing of all churches, schools, theaters, including motion picture theaters and public meeting places until the danger of an epidemic of the disease has passed.”

When the ban on gatherings was partially lifted and children returned to school, another wave of illness and death washed over the city. Businesses protested restrictions such as ordering all retail establishments to close by 4:30 p.m. Shopkeepers noted that restricted sales hours led to greater congestion on the street cars, negating any sanitary impact. At one point, the health department considered a citywide quarantine, closing every factory, office and store in town, but relented under intense public pressure.

By February 1919, The Cincinnati Post reported that more than 80,000 Cincinnatians had contracted influenza and that 1,400 children had lost one or both parents because of the disease. The awful tally continued to grow. The Post [7 March 1919] listed new federal data for the period 11 September 1918 to 1 March 1919:

“The figures show Cincinnati had 2263 deaths from influenza and pneumonia in that time, with a rate of 5.4 per thousand.”

As spring arrived, the worst of the epidemic had passed and the death rate plummeted but so many Cincinnatians suffered from the lingering effects of lung infection that 13 public health stations opened in May 1919 to deal with residual complications, including increased susceptibility to tuberculosis.

https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/citywiseblog/the-great-dying-cincinnati-endures-the-1918-influenza-pandemic/