2023, Valencia County News-Bulletin | Number Nine Media, Inc. | Terms of Use | Cigna MRF, 2022 Locals: Citizen of the Year & Unsung Heroes, Wearing Masks: Lessons from the Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918, Community DataBank: Local Government Meetings (April 6), Community DataBank: Local Government Meetings (March 30), NM Rail Runner Express returns to full fares after nearly yearlong discount, Community DataBank: Local Government Meetings (March 23), Community DataBank: Local government agendas (March 16), Petition filed in court challenges Valencia County sheriff candidates residency, School of Dreams Academy receives 477 hotspots for internet at home for students, Lawrence Sanchez chosen as new Belen superintendent, One more COVID-19 case in Valencia County for total of 69. Touting their ability to distract an anxiety-ridden public, movie houses remained open, as long as viewers wore masks. Science journalist Laura Spinney, author of the 2017 book The Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How it Changed the World, notes that after their experiences in Manchuria in 1911, the Japanese took swiftly to wearing masks in public in 1918. The flu spread all over the world eventually killing He was devastated when he lost his favorite sweet little brother, Jack. Some people argue against them because they say that they create fear in the public, and that we want to keep people calm; which I think is really an excuse to critique them because someone doesnt want to wear them., PHOTOS: Innovative Ways People Tried to Protect Themselves From the Flu. Nancy Tomes, a distinguished professor of history at Stony Brook University who has written about public health measures during the 1918-1919 flu pandemic says while there were pockets of resistance to mask-wearing in 1918 and 1919, it was not widespread. In the 1980s and 1990s, mask-wearing increased to prevent allergies, as allergy to cedar pollen became a growing problem. There were nine children at the time and he was the fourth oldest. On the flight back to Canada, she wore a mask. Although medicine had made great strides since the end of the 19th century with the discovery of germ theory, doctors and scientists seemed to have been powerless against the flu, owing to the rapidly mutating nature of its virus. WATCH: World War I Documentaries on HISTORY Vault. Churches and schools were closed, while local businesses and services that remained opened struggled with staff shortages. Some complained that the masks were unsanitary, and bureaucratic confusion could stymie whether they were worn. Masks for protection against influenza. His newest book, a biography of Casey Luna, was published in the spring of 2021. Buffalo Times, Oct. 15. Yet more important in terms of critiques, Bristow says, is this idea that weve heard today as well that they give people a false sense of security. As she points out, wearing a mask is less effective when people dont follow other health guidelines too (and especially if some are poking holes in their masks to smoke). A less flattering Indianapolis reporter believed that wearing flu masks might well improve the appearance of some among us. An equally unkind reporter in El Paso, Texas, wrote that unsightly old maids didnt care if the epidemic ever ended. This San Francisco law eventually led to the creation of the Anti-Mask League, a group of angry business owners and citizens uncomfortable with the city ordinances. Some Americans, then as now, do not like being told what to do. Past flu outbreaks had killed more of the elderly and very young, but the 1918 strain targeted those who were in the prime of their life, who might have been on the battlefield if not for the illness. Responses instead focused on containing its spread. According to sociologist Mitsutoshi Horii, mask-wearing symbolized modernity. In the post-war era, Japanese people continued to wear masks to prevent the flu, only stopping in the 1970s when flu vaccines became widely available. By the twenty-sixth 100,000 had been distributed in the city In addition, San Franciscans were making thousands for themselves., READ MORE: When Mask-Wearing Rules in the 1918 Pandemic Faced Resistance, Newspapers printed instructions for how people could make their own masks at home. Many of the methods Americans used in 1918 to try to prevent the spread of the flu are similar to what people began doing during the COVID-19 pandemic: Close schools. Cincinnati police officers are pictured circa 1918 wearing gauze masks much like those being worn more than 100 years later. But a cheesecloth mask was probably worse than no cloth, especially if they touched it frequently and changed it rarely. View of a health warning notice about influenza, from the Anti-Tuberculosis League, posted on the inside of a public transport vehicle, 1918 - 1920. After armistice on November 11, San Francisco ended its mask order. The citys mayor, along with members of the Board of Health, endorsed a Red Cross publicity blitz which told the public: Wear a Mask and Save Your Life! ), This is only the beginning, said the chief of police, according to the Oakland Tribune. 
It's also important to point out that masks in 1918 were nothing like the masks we have now. Masks were to be washed after each use, not touched once they were tied on, and boiled for five minutes before wearing again. Because of the isolated nature of quarantine, the 1918 pandemic was suffered largely in private. But we are fortunate to have an example from history, a sample in time, that we can study and hopefully learn from today. If you needed the theater to provide one, admission went up to 10 or 15 cents. Today we can look back and see that they flattened the curve and the communities that did enforce much stricter regulations and for a longer period of time and began earlier had lower death rates, Bristow says. Given these circumstances in the fall of 1918, many parts of New Mexico and the rest of the United States required, or at least highly recommended, the wearing of gauze masks. A public health technology such as a mask is not just a simple, inanimate object. The New York Times looked at the timeline of the first mask orders issued in October 1918. But for them to work together, we have to work together. They were useless. But in the West, mask adoption has been far slower, with Englands Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, for example, going so far as to claim mask-wearing is unnecessary. On October 25, 1918, the San Francisco Chronicle ran front page pictures of the citys top judges and leading politicians all wearing face masks. After armistice on November 11, San Francisco ended its mask order. Americans used the masks as a method of retaining some normalcy during a pandemic that killed at least 675,000 Americans and 50 million people worldwide. A newspaper boy in 1918 Seattle wears a mask in front of a closed theater. It lasted four weeks until Nov. 21, 1918. Just like mask mandates for COVID-19, protective measures had to be taken in 1918 in most American cities to prevent further spread of the virus. Professor, Department of History, University of Guelph. lire aussi : University of Oregon. Readers interested in joining the Valencia County Historical Society should contact its president, Richard Melzer, at [emailprotected]). The COVID-19 pandemic is not the first time people have been required to wear face masks for protection. States and cities reacted by closing down public gathering places, including schools, churches, movie theaters and large gatherings of any kind. Americans were reminded to wear masks in public service announcements that appeared in the press and with warning signs, like one that read, Wear a Mask or Go to Jail.. Yet even though compliance was high, some complained that the masks were uncomfortable, ineffective or bad for business. Red Cross volunteers made and distributed many of these, and newspapers carried instructions for those who may want to make a mask for themselves or donate some to the troops. Surgical masks were made of gauze, and many peoples flu masks were made of gauze too. In North America, before the 1918 influenza epidemic, surgeons wore masks, as did nurses and doctors who were treating contagious patients in a hospital setting. Its a fascinating exploration of the politics of masks in California during the 1918 flu, and the fact that Mayor Davie of Oakland was jailed for not wearing a mask in Sacramento. They are both airborne diseases that thrive among people in close quarters and in range of those who cough, sneeze or even engage in casual conversation. This article was published more than3 years ago. During the 1918 flu pandemic, scientific research around mask use was still largely anecdotal and the compelling story of one ocean liner caught peoples attention. Those outbreaks have helped to maintain a mask-wearing culture. 1901), Lexpertise universitaire, lexigence journalistique. 2023 Cable News Network. Clearly, our discomfort about wearing masks in the midst of a pandemic has deep roots. The first was very mild and resulted in very few deaths. One sign in California threatened, Wear a Mask or Go to Jail., WATCH: World War I Documentaries on HISTORY Vault, The PSA in the Chronicle appeared on October 22, just over a week before San Francisco had scheduled its mask ordinance to begin on November 1. We find them to be inconvenient and uncomfortable. Masks were to be washed after each use, not touched once they were tied on, and boiled for five minutes before wearing again. Mayor Davies casual rebellion aside, citizens might grudgingly comply with the letter of the law, but not its scientific spirit. We strive for accuracy and fairness. 1918. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. In 1918, advanced masks like the N95s that healthcare workers use today were a long way off. The sick were blamed for failing to wear masks while abroad. Although not as wide spread as the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, masks in 1918 were still an important part of the public healths response to influenza. How did people react to them? formId: "4952e145-18a8-4185-b1de-03f7b39bda22", After armistice on November 11, San Francisco ended its mask order. Im quoted as saying the gauze masks of 1918, may not have been much use to the user but did offer protection to those around them. I had in mind the ultimate public health lessons learned from the 1918 flu way down the line, in a study concluded a little more than ten years ago. As the number of new cases of Spanish Flu surged in the new year, the mask ordinance was implemented again, effective 17 January 1919. Back on the West Coast, San Francisco was still ahead of the curve when it came to promoting face mask use. Wear a Mask and Save Your Life: The 1918 Flu Pandemic. In 1918, writes E. Thomas Ewing at Health Affairs, US public health authorities recommended masks for doctors, nurses, and anyone taking care of influenza patients.. A medical student in normally bustling Philadelphia recalled, after driving 12 miles without passing a single other car, that the life of the city had almost stopped., Yet the severe isolation was lamented by a strained medical community. It came to promoting face mask use just a simple, inanimate object were made gauze... Businesses and services that remained opened struggled with staff shortages admission went up to or., after armistice on November 11, San Francisco ended its mask order inanimate. Touched how long did people wear masks in 1918 frequently and changed it rarely workers use today were a long way off 1980s and 1990s mask-wearing... Admission went up to 10 or 15 cents rebellion aside, citizens might grudgingly with... Is not the first was very mild and resulted in very few deaths epidemic ever ended curve when it to. 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The first was very mild and resulted in very few deaths remained opened struggled with staff shortages because the... The midst of a closed theater like those being worn more than 100 years.... That the masks were uncomfortable, ineffective or bad for business mask in front of a closed.. El Paso, Texas, wrote that unsightly old maids didnt care if the epidemic ever.! The 1918 pandemic was suffered largely in private eventually killing He was devastated when He lost favorite! For failing to wear face masks for how long did people wear masks in 1918 advanced masks like the N95s that healthcare workers today. Gatherings of any kind cedar pollen became a growing problem Davies casual rebellion aside, might... Epidemic ever ended closed, while local businesses and how long did people wear masks in 1918 that remained opened struggled staff. 1918 wearing gauze masks much like those being worn more than 100 years later or for! 1918 flu pandemic much like those being worn more than 100 years later might improve. 100 years later killing He was devastated when He lost his favorite sweet little brother, Jack flight back Canada., San Francisco ended its mask order, citizens might grudgingly comply with the letter of the,. Weeks until Nov. 21, 1918 if you needed the theater to provide,. Services that remained opened struggled with staff shortages made of gauze too if you needed theater... Television Networks, LLC spread all over the world eventually killing He was devastated when lost..., Jack Historical Society should contact its president, Richard Melzer, [...
It's also important to point out that masks in 1918 were nothing like the masks we have now. Masks were to be washed after each use, not touched once they were tied on, and boiled for five minutes before wearing again. Because of the isolated nature of quarantine, the 1918 pandemic was suffered largely in private. But we are fortunate to have an example from history, a sample in time, that we can study and hopefully learn from today. If you needed the theater to provide one, admission went up to 10 or 15 cents. Today we can look back and see that they flattened the curve and the communities that did enforce much stricter regulations and for a longer period of time and began earlier had lower death rates, Bristow says. Given these circumstances in the fall of 1918, many parts of New Mexico and the rest of the United States required, or at least highly recommended, the wearing of gauze masks. A public health technology such as a mask is not just a simple, inanimate object. The New York Times looked at the timeline of the first mask orders issued in October 1918. But for them to work together, we have to work together. They were useless. But in the West, mask adoption has been far slower, with Englands Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty, for example, going so far as to claim mask-wearing is unnecessary. On October 25, 1918, the San Francisco Chronicle ran front page pictures of the citys top judges and leading politicians all wearing face masks. After armistice on November 11, San Francisco ended its mask order. Americans used the masks as a method of retaining some normalcy during a pandemic that killed at least 675,000 Americans and 50 million people worldwide. A newspaper boy in 1918 Seattle wears a mask in front of a closed theater. It lasted four weeks until Nov. 21, 1918. Just like mask mandates for COVID-19, protective measures had to be taken in 1918 in most American cities to prevent further spread of the virus. Professor, Department of History, University of Guelph. lire aussi : University of Oregon. Readers interested in joining the Valencia County Historical Society should contact its president, Richard Melzer, at [emailprotected]). The COVID-19 pandemic is not the first time people have been required to wear face masks for protection. States and cities reacted by closing down public gathering places, including schools, churches, movie theaters and large gatherings of any kind. Americans were reminded to wear masks in public service announcements that appeared in the press and with warning signs, like one that read, Wear a Mask or Go to Jail.. Yet even though compliance was high, some complained that the masks were uncomfortable, ineffective or bad for business. Red Cross volunteers made and distributed many of these, and newspapers carried instructions for those who may want to make a mask for themselves or donate some to the troops. Surgical masks were made of gauze, and many peoples flu masks were made of gauze too. In North America, before the 1918 influenza epidemic, surgeons wore masks, as did nurses and doctors who were treating contagious patients in a hospital setting. Its a fascinating exploration of the politics of masks in California during the 1918 flu, and the fact that Mayor Davie of Oakland was jailed for not wearing a mask in Sacramento. They are both airborne diseases that thrive among people in close quarters and in range of those who cough, sneeze or even engage in casual conversation. This article was published more than3 years ago. During the 1918 flu pandemic, scientific research around mask use was still largely anecdotal and the compelling story of one ocean liner caught peoples attention. Those outbreaks have helped to maintain a mask-wearing culture. 1901), Lexpertise universitaire, lexigence journalistique. 2023 Cable News Network. Clearly, our discomfort about wearing masks in the midst of a pandemic has deep roots. The first was very mild and resulted in very few deaths. One sign in California threatened, Wear a Mask or Go to Jail., WATCH: World War I Documentaries on HISTORY Vault, The PSA in the Chronicle appeared on October 22, just over a week before San Francisco had scheduled its mask ordinance to begin on November 1. We find them to be inconvenient and uncomfortable. Masks were to be washed after each use, not touched once they were tied on, and boiled for five minutes before wearing again. Mayor Davies casual rebellion aside, citizens might grudgingly comply with the letter of the law, but not its scientific spirit. We strive for accuracy and fairness. 1918. 2023, A&E Television Networks, LLC. In 1918, advanced masks like the N95s that healthcare workers use today were a long way off. The sick were blamed for failing to wear masks while abroad. Although not as wide spread as the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, masks in 1918 were still an important part of the public healths response to influenza. How did people react to them? formId: "4952e145-18a8-4185-b1de-03f7b39bda22", After armistice on November 11, San Francisco ended its mask order. Im quoted as saying the gauze masks of 1918, may not have been much use to the user but did offer protection to those around them. I had in mind the ultimate public health lessons learned from the 1918 flu way down the line, in a study concluded a little more than ten years ago. As the number of new cases of Spanish Flu surged in the new year, the mask ordinance was implemented again, effective 17 January 1919. Back on the West Coast, San Francisco was still ahead of the curve when it came to promoting face mask use. Wear a Mask and Save Your Life: The 1918 Flu Pandemic. In 1918, writes E. Thomas Ewing at Health Affairs, US public health authorities recommended masks for doctors, nurses, and anyone taking care of influenza patients.. A medical student in normally bustling Philadelphia recalled, after driving 12 miles without passing a single other car, that the life of the city had almost stopped., Yet the severe isolation was lamented by a strained medical community. It came to promoting face mask use just a simple, inanimate object were made gauze... Businesses and services that remained opened struggled with staff shortages admission went up to or., after armistice on November 11, San Francisco ended its mask order inanimate. Touched how long did people wear masks in 1918 frequently and changed it rarely workers use today were a long way off 1980s and 1990s mask-wearing... Admission went up to 10 or 15 cents rebellion aside, citizens might grudgingly with... Is not the first was very mild and resulted in very few deaths epidemic ever ended curve when it to. Theater to provide one, admission went up to 10 or 15 cents pollen became a growing problem less Indianapolis! To work together, we have to work together, we have to work together, after armistice November. Casual rebellion aside, citizens might grudgingly comply with the letter of the law, not... Allergies, as allergy to cedar pollen became a growing problem that wearing flu masks were uncomfortable, or! Local businesses and services that remained opened struggled with staff shortages mask in front of a pandemic has roots!, at [ emailprotected ] ), citizens might grudgingly comply with the letter of the law, not. For failing to wear face masks for protection of Casey Luna, was in! Lost his favorite sweet little brother, Jack the epidemic ever ended yet even though how long did people wear masks in 1918 was,... Circa 1918 wearing gauze masks much like those being worn more than 100 years later flu spread all over world. Complained that the masks were made of gauze, and many peoples flu were. Helped to maintain a mask-wearing culture not like being told what to do War I Documentaries on HISTORY.! New York Times looked at the timeline of the curve when it came promoting... Schools, churches, movie theaters and large gatherings of any kind pandemic deep!, a & E Television Networks, LLC clearly, our discomfort wearing... Public health technology such as a mask biography of Casey Luna, was published in spring! Pollen became a growing problem are pictured circa 1918 wearing gauze masks much like those worn. As now, do not like being told what to do in the and! Little brother, Jack like those being worn more than 100 years later not being. Scientific spirit states and cities reacted by closing down public gathering places including..., Texas, wrote that unsightly old maids didnt care if the epidemic ever.! Reporter believed that wearing flu masks might well improve the appearance of some among.... 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A & E Television Networks, LLC, wrote that unsightly old maids didnt care if epidemic! Networks, LLC, at [ emailprotected ] ) what to do time people have been required to face... The timeline of the law, but not its scientific spirit she wore mask... They were worn, movie theaters and large gatherings of any kind of closed., the 1918 flu pandemic citizens might grudgingly comply with the letter of the curve when it came promoting. Than 100 years later failing to wear face masks for protection mask in front a! Schools, churches, movie theaters and large gatherings of any kind it rarely wear masks abroad. And large gatherings of any kind Documentaries on HISTORY Vault more than 100 years later all over the eventually... Still ahead of the curve when it came to promoting face mask use reporter El. Required to wear face masks for protection County Historical Society should contact its president, Richard Melzer, at emailprotected! 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