Publisher's column: COVID-19: Why are decisions made to cut down on crowds?

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Thursday noon of this past week, curious as to what ESPN would be airing instead of conference basketball games, I saw an interview of John Swafford Atlantic Coast Conference. The conference had just cancelled its lucrative and popular men’s and women’s basketball tournaments due to the threat of COVID-19.

In response to a question, he shared that the decision was unprecedented. He’d never been involved in a decision of this magnitude in his lifetime.

Last week, decision makers representing organizations as well as local, regional, state and national public bodies made what seemed to be a never-ending stream of decisions impacting sporting and community events, hospitality businesses and even whether or not you could see a family member in the nursing home.

These decisions weren’t made lightly. The NCAA March Madness basketball tournament grosses nearly $1 billion. Shutting down the tournament with that much money on the line must have generated some interesting discussions.

The end point of these decisions is to reduce human contact and slow down the spread of COVID-19. Much is being sacrificed to do just this including closing restaurants, bars and schools in Illinois. The restrictions that are taking place seem to go against our grain, our national ethos. Few enjoy being told what to do.

Many don’t understand or agree with all these actions. I can understand this point of view.

Just as John Swafford hadn’t faced a decision of this magnitude, none of us has faced a worldwide pandemic in our lifetimes. One would have had to been born in 1918 or before to have lived through a worldwide pandemic.

We are living in a unique time.

But, why is there all of this concern and seemingly heavy-handed declarations? We can learn from history.

On Sept. 28, 1918, Philadelphia held a Liberty Loan parade–one of the most grandiose yet in the community’s history. The goal: drum up support to raise millions of dollars for the World War I effort. Despite the fact that influenza had gained a stronghold in the city and with city leadership operating in a vacuum, authorities allowed the parade to happen.

Two days after the parade, every single bed in Philadelphia’s 31 hospitals were filled with influenza patients. Lines formed awaiting admission from flu-stricken victims. Some offered nurses bribes of $100 to gain entry. Hundreds of thousands became ill and death rates soared.

St. Louis took the opposite approach shutting down the town thus diminishing the death rate. St. Louis spread out the curve…

So. . .what can we learn from Galena’s past?

In the Oct. 11, 1918 Gazette, Galena Mayor John Billingsley issued this proclamation: “Our community is threatened with an epidemic of influenza. Several new cases have developed with the last 24 hours. By virtue of our authority, we hereby order public schools, churches, public library, lodges and similar organizations, theaters, parochial schools, pool and billiard halls closed at once until further notice.

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“We also order all students to remain on their own premises. All chairs must be removed from saloons and not over five people congregate at one time in saloons. Our citizens are requested not to visit other towns and to avoid crowds or meetings.”

By the beginning of November 1918, The Gazette reported that the influenza situation in Galena was getting better. Life returned to normal and schools opened.

Then came Nov. 11, the end of World War I; Galena celebrated with a grand parade. The celebration was short-lived. Influenza struck again.

Mayor Billingsley issued another proclamation closing “theatres, moving picture houses and public gathering of any kind. Saloons and pool halls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a positive limit of five customers in same room at one time. Barber shops must not have over one waiting for each chair in the shop in use. All stores must exercise utmost diligence in serving their customers, not to permit crowds of five in any part of the story at one time.”

Schools weren’t closed, but that changed in a matter of days.

The Red Cross, which had been helping the community, sprung into action converting the YMCA building, now At Home in Galena, 114 S. Main St., into a hospital. It also harnessed the power and spirit of the women in Galena to help those families dealing with influenza.

There were some dreadful cases, the Gazette reported.

Today as I see Alana Turner and Kerry Shelke through social media offer to help those impacted by COVID-19, I am reminded how history can repeat itself and the kindness that some show in the midst of a crisis.

But, why is this important?

Last week, The New York Times carried a story detailing four possible worst-case scenarios of the COVID-19 pandemic developed by the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC estimates that if COVID-19 gains a foothold in the United States somewhere between 160 million to 210 million people could become infected with anywhere from 200,000 to 1.7 million of those infected dying. Remember, that these are worst-case scenarios.

Although none of us enjoys being told what to do or to make sacrifices, it seems that each of us has a responsibility to be more like St. Louis than Philadelphia. It’s not as much about becoming infected with COVID-19. It’s about avoiding the spread of the virus to friends, family and those we don’t know.

Each has a responsibility to flatten the curve.

If you understand the history, then it’s easy to understand the decisions that were made last week and the decisions that will most likely be coming. Somehow I feel that if we proceed with an attitude of “We’re all in this together,” the burden of COVID-19 will diminish the weight on each of us personally.

This could be our finest moment.