Witness to 1918 flu: 'Death was there all the time'

[Guest guest]

Witness to 1918 flu: 'Death was there all the time'

98-year-old man recalls pandemic that killed millions

By Kelley Colihan, CNN

FRAMINGHAM, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Crotty was 11 years old

when the " great flu " hit his neighborhood in Framingham, outside

Boston.

" It was scary, because every morning when you got up, you asked, 'Who

died during the night?' You know death was there all the time. "

The 1918 pandemic is thought to have killed anywhere from 20 million

to 100 million people around the world. Researchers recently re-

created the virus to study it for clues on how to fight the current

strain of bird flu, which threatens to become the next great flu

pandemic.

Five neighbors on his street of about 20 houses died during the

season of death, he recalled...

" People were very leery of each other. And when we went out, we wore

a mask over our noses and mouths, " he said.

Crotty said people also covered their shirts with holy medals

to " ward off the evil of this terrible disease. "

Historian Barry, author of " The Great Influenza, " said the

disease " killed more people in 24 weeks than AIDS has killed in 24

years. "

The worst-hit U.S. cities were Philadelphia, New York and Boston.

Barry said vigilantes patrolled the streets of Albuquerque, New

Mexico, making people wear their masks.

President Woodrow continued sending troop ships to Europe,

something Barry describes as " floating coffins. "

" Fear drove everybody inside, " he said. Across the United States, " 60

percent absentee rates " and empty city streets were common, Barry

said.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/HEALTH/conditions/10/07/1918.flu.witness/index

..html

[Guest guest]

Interesting link, Lee. This part is key: “Nearly as quickly as it struck, the

1918 flu seemed to disappear.”

In other accounts, I’ve read that it moved through

communities in less than two weeks. So

if anyone was to isolate themselves, perhaps they wouldn’t have to stay

indoors for very long.