Spanish Flu of 1918 and COVID-19 The Spanish Flu of 1918 and the COVID-19 Pandemic of 2020 had and are having a major impact on rural Arkansas. What causes these illnesses, and how are they different from each other? How did these illnesses get here? Why do they spread so quickly? Who is at risk? Were there treatments in 1918? How about today? How deadly are they? Will they come back? Are these outbreaks predictable? What causes these illnesses and how are they different from each other? The Spanish Flu of 1918 did not originate in Spain. The Flu Pandemic of 1918 probably began in Northern China in 1917. It was a novel (new to humans) flu virus brought by Chinese migrant workers into Canada. These workers were being transported across Canada by train and taken to work behind the battle lines in Europe. It was only called the Spanish Flu because the combatants in WW I did not publish their statistics. Spain as a noncombatant had no such restrictions. COVID-19 is a not a flu virus, it is a type of coronavirus. Most corona viruses cause mild upper respiratory illnesses (colds) in humans. There are at least three corona viruses that cause
severe illness and at times, death: SARS (Sever Acute Respiratory Syndrome), MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome) virus and COVID-19.
How did these illnesses get to rural Arkansas, especially in 1918? The Pandemic Flu of 1918 made its first major appearance in rural Kansas in the spring of 1918 and then quickly spread to a military camp in Central Kansas, Camp Funston. As the men from Camp Funston spread out across the country, 24 of 36 large military camps in the U.S. had major outbreaks during the next year. Among those camps was Camp Pike, just north and west of North Little Rock, Arkansas. In the fall of 1918, Camp Pike had 54,000 troops, making it the second
22 • Saline County Lifestyles • Conquering COVID
largest city in Arkansas. Little Rock had a population of 58,000. The first soldier was reported ill on September 23rd, and seven days later there were 7,500 cases of influenza and 100 had died. It is important to remember that, early in many infectious illnesses, a person may be shedding the virus, quite contagious but showing no symptoms themselves. On Friday, October 4th, 1918, Dr. James C. Geiger, the Public Health officer in charge of the North Little Rock post said, “The situation is well in hand.” This, even though 506 cases had been reported in Little Rock and North Little Rock. The next day he stated, “The disease has reached its highest point and will begin to decline from now on.” Over that long weekend, cases of the flu were reported in Newport, Wilmot, Hot Springs, Stuttgart, Waldron, Subiaco, Paris, Hunter, and Dermott. Despite further official reassurances, on Monday, the 7th of October, Dr. Charles Garrison, a State Board of Health officer, and the Arkansas Board of Health declared a quarantine over the entire state. The Pandemic Flu of 1918 spread like a wildfire and within
