Thread by @SkinnerLyle

On Nov 14, 1918 the NB Minister of Health lifted public gathering restrictions after shutting the province down on Oct 11. Schools reopened on Nov 18. His letter has commentary that is very relevant for NB in its path living with covid. Let's have a look. /N #nbpoli

In lifting public health restrictions in 1918 the NB Minister stated that "the Department of Health would not wish it to be understood, that it regards the epidemic as completely done and over with. In probably very few parts of the province is this absolutely the case" /2

"Beyond doubt, it will be many weeks before sporadic cases crease to appear, and in some localities mostly in the remotest settlements, and in somewhat isolated communities it is yet in an epidemic stage" /3

Now balancing Public Health with other factors "To have retained the general closure, however, until practically all traces of the disease had disappeared, would have entailed an amount of hardship, inconvenience and loss which the department consider would be unwise to impose"/4

Local rules "To guard the public so far as may be practicable,however, for any ill-consequences of a premature reopening of localities still largely infected, it had advised the local authorities to use their discretion in the matter, and not to reopen for a little time longer"/5

Furthermore not to reopen "if in their judgement, it would be wiser to continue the closures." The letter ends with caution 👇 /6

"Everywhere the Department would urgently request the public to exercise utmost caution and good sense in resuming their usual habits in regards to public meetings of all sorts." /7

"No one should attend such gathering that is to say, until all cough and discharges from the noise and throat have disappeared. It is also of equal importance that no one, although well himself, should mingle in the public while the disease remains within the family" /8

The 1919 report of the medical officer of Health shows after the 1st wave of the Spanish Flu in the fall of 1918 the virus infected an additional 25% of cases and deaths resulting in a total by October of 1919 of 35,851 cases and 1394 deaths with a case mortality rate of 3.9% /9

This is where a historical comparison between the Spanish Flu and Covid in NB stops. It stops for one important aspect: vaccination. Our ancestors did not have a vaccine against the covid. They did have one for smallpox. The mass vaccination of NB helped end that disease. /10

We are now in a phase of covid where the comparison is smallpox vaccination. NB had mass vaccinations in schools & for certain employments including lumber camps to eradicate the disease where people were in close proximity. Note the success of initial school vaccination.👇/11