Monday, December 28, 2020
One small example
I was randomly skimming through old Billboards at American Radio History, and bumped into this nice example of how we handled a REAL epidemic with REAL science and REAL trust for immunity and human nature. Polio was a REAL epidemic that threatened everyone, especially kids.
ST PAUL, Aug. 3, 1946.
Minnesota State Fair, resuming its 10-day annual after a one-year lapse, is all set to go, but officials were keeping their fingers crossed hoping the current polio epidemic sweeping the State abates before turnstiles start swinging August 24. Raymond A. Lee, secretary, said the board was ready to take any and every precaution to protect patrons against the infantile paralysis outbreak. Lee was conferring with a salesman who seeks to spray the grounds with DDT to insure killing off of all insects, in the hope of lessening chances of the polio spread.
Altho there was no thought of canceling out because of the epidemic, Lee said it appeared certain that kid patronage would take a terrific drop in the face of a voluntary quarantine of small fry now on in Minneapolis, heart of the outbreak.
They understood that EPIDEMICS ABATE. They understood that VIRUSES HAVE A NATURAL TREND PATTERN. They weren't doing EVERY FUCKING THING POSSIBLE to slaughter people and eliminate immunity and make the epidemic last forever and expand exponentially.
They didn't cancel anything, but the city was asking kids to avoid mass gatherings. No masks, no distancing, just avoid the constant close mingling and milling that happens at fairs. Avoid heavy doses of the virus, allow small exposures.
This is what I remember from the mid-50s REAL polio epidemic. A few activities like swimming were limited. That's all.
ST PAUL, Aug. 3, 1946.
Minnesota State Fair, resuming its 10-day annual after a one-year lapse, is all set to go, but officials were keeping their fingers crossed hoping the current polio epidemic sweeping the State abates before turnstiles start swinging August 24. Raymond A. Lee, secretary, said the board was ready to take any and every precaution to protect patrons against the infantile paralysis outbreak. Lee was conferring with a salesman who seeks to spray the grounds with DDT to insure killing off of all insects, in the hope of lessening chances of the polio spread.
Altho there was no thought of canceling out because of the epidemic, Lee said it appeared certain that kid patronage would take a terrific drop in the face of a voluntary quarantine of small fry now on in Minneapolis, heart of the outbreak.
They understood that EPIDEMICS ABATE. They understood that VIRUSES HAVE A NATURAL TREND PATTERN. They weren't doing EVERY FUCKING THING POSSIBLE to slaughter people and eliminate immunity and make the epidemic last forever and expand exponentially.
They didn't cancel anything, but the city was asking kids to avoid mass gatherings. No masks, no distancing, just avoid the constant close mingling and milling that happens at fairs. Avoid heavy doses of the virus, allow small exposures.
This is what I remember from the mid-50s REAL polio epidemic. A few activities like swimming were limited. That's all.
Labels: #defundpublichealth, Alternate universe
¶ 3:28 PM
