At this moment, we are experiencing the effects of COVID-19 in our everyday lives. We are hoping that someday, that there will be cure or vaccine that will help us to stamp out and overcome this dreaded virus.
However in 1918, there is a pandemic that struck the whole world. This so called Spanish Influenza pandemic claimed millions of lives around the world including in the Philippines. The origins of this dreaded virus is still unknown. However, in 1918 the virus was already observed in some countries in America, Europe and Asia before spreading to almost every part of the planet within a matter of months.
In the Philippines, the virus initially appeared between the middle of April and first week of May, 1918. It was believed that the virus was brought by the movements of boats in main Philippine ports. It was acquired through repeated and rapid passage of individuals in a year when the volume of traffic and business of the whole country brought about continuous coming and going of people from one point to another.
The first wave was occurred in May, June in the provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, Batangas, Rizal, Laguna, Tayabas (now Quezon Province), Pampanga and Nueva Ecija characterized by slight mortality; the second wave was occurred in late September, the whole October, November and December, leaving no locality, town or hamlet unscathed, no matter how far or isolated. The wave attended with high mortality percentage through respiratory, cardiac and renal complications.
The virus showed a preference for the age groups between 10 and 29 years and amongst these groups of patients where the greatest degree of mortality was encountered. The measures taken against the pandemic are the implementation of personal and collective prophylaxis (health protocols) and treatment of the sick at their homes and hospitals. However, many of the medical personnel became also sick and the insufficiency of doctors and nurses was acutely felt. Schools and places of amusement were also closed in certain provinces.
The district health officer of Tayabas shared his experiences towards the pandemic in his province. According to him, the first cases were hospitalized and placed under the direct supervision of the health service. The diffusion of the pandemic was so rapid and astonishing than in less than one week. The results obtained failed to meet the expectations of the measure taken; isolation of the sick whenever possible; disinfection of infected premises, contacts and sputum of the sick, hospitalization, popular lectures, and direct instruction to the people to escape infection and distribution of pamphlets written in Spanish and local language.
To contain the spread of the virus, the public school teachers were tapped and voluntarily distributed medicines, nursed the stricken and gave wholesome information to the people regarding to the virus. A heroic feature of the pandemic was the highly commendable nature of the services rendered by the teachers who stayed in barrios which they are assigned and worked day and night. The schools at those times are closed for four weeks and it will require strenuous efforts on the part of the pupils and of the teachers to make up the time lost.
All known and approved sanitary measures failed to check the spread of the virus, which finally died out when fresh cases were no longer available in the following years.
Photo Credits:
marketwatch.com
Sources:
Nineteenth Annual Report of the Director of Education January 1, 1918 to December 31, 1918, Bureau of Printing, Manila, Philippine Islands, 1919.
Report of the Philippine Health Service for the Fiscal Year from January 1 to December 31, 1918, Bureau of Printing, Manila, Philippine Islands, 1919.
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