hondo812 Loc: Massachusetts

Ok, so I came across something today about a p******c just over 50 years ago. What p******c could that be you say? The Hong Kong Flu p******c of 1968-69.

Ok so I was just a wee'un back then (3rd or 4th grade) and a number of you are Vietnam vets or similarly aged. What are your recollections of this event?

Were people masked?
Did businesses close down?
Did schools close down during the school year?


I looked it up;
Total population in US -1968 was 200.7 million.
Total dead from Hong Kong flu in US 38,000.

That is approximately 0.019% of the country or a death rate of 18.9/100k (1968)

Today with C***d19 we have;
Total population - 331,002,651
Current total dead from C****-** is 74431

That is approximately 0.022% of the country or a death rate of 22.1/100k (2020)

1968 - No lockdowns, no shuttered businesses, closed borders?, no masks.
2020 - lockdown everywhere, all non-essential businesses closed, borders closed, masks required.

I'm looking for comments from those old enough to know what was going on. I was there but as an 8 year old my priority was learning to ride a bicycle and playing baseball.

It just seems to me that either we were unbelievably stupid in 1968 or unbelievably stupid today. It's possible both are true I suppose.

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

I had the HK flu and it was brutal.

It also is a c****a v***s.

I’ve never had the flu since.

I do suspect I had C***D in February.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Very good comparison.
Shows what a bunch of weakling wimps this nation has become.

hondo812 Loc: Massachusetts

I'm hoping to get a glimpse at what things were like here in the states.

Food shortages?

On the news all the time (or as late as the news went then)?

Shutdowns?

Government declarations, orders, etc.?


Don't get me wrong...it would sound sort of ridiculous if we were fighting a war against C*******t totalitarianism only to turn around and practice it here for something they called the flu....

slocumeddie Loc: Inside your head, again

I have no recollection of the Hong Kong Flu being an issue requiring the precautions we are practicing today.

However, I was preoccupied with the events in South East Asia.....just finishing "Basic" at Fort Bragg, NC

and more training at Fort Bliss, TX. So, my recall might be suspect.

Food shortages......no

In the news 24/7...no

Businesses closed..no

School shutdowns..no

Quarantine............no

Kraken Loc: Barry's Bay

Where is the link?

jeep_daddy Loc: Prescott AZ

I think your comparison is skewed a tad. First off, your HK flu stats aren't for just 2 or 3 months. It's for the entire time the HK flu was k*****g people. We've only been in this COVD19 p******c for maybe 3 months or so. Also, we have been doing something about it, as you say, we've been social distancing, closing non essential businesses, borders, etc., so our numbers for this p******c might be 10x higher if nothing had been done like the HK flu.

Now, go back to 1918 and check out the stats for the Spanish flu. They estimated between 20m and 40m people died globally from this flu. Yes, the m is for "millions".... And . . . in some areas, they did practice social distancing, masks, and sheltering in place and in those areas the number of cases were much lower including lower death rates. While almost every country was affected at the same time, Australia wasn't hit hard at first because they refused entry when they got word of the Spanish flu. But people complained that they couldn't get imports and goods so after a few months they started allowing entry in their ports and immediately they were hit with the Spanish flu and people started dying.

hondo812 Loc: Massachusetts

I call it......."google".

hondo812 Loc: Massachusetts

Then by all means you should start a thread comparing the 2018 p******c to C***d19.

I came across an interesting tidbit about that 2018 p******c. The gist of it was that it was spread domestically by mail carriers which is interesting because of all the hoo-hah about v**e by mail to avoid further spread......

As for measures currently going on being effective....that's going to be difficult to prove don't you think?

Kraken Loc: Barry's Bay

I get hell from everyone for not posting a link but it is perfectly OK for you to not do it.

You write down some crap and expect us all to believe that you just didn't pull that out of your rectum.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

LWW Loc: Banana Republic of America

I agree ... but you did use same excuse. I do assume you wouldn’t expect there to be a double standard?

thom w Loc: San Jose, CA

I had very minor input, but if that's the mood you are in, never mind.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Problem Krackhead's links are to f**e news outlets that are propaganda arms of the DNC so they are totally unreliable and full of lies and misinformation.

hondo812 Loc: Massachusetts

Wow!

Do you want a tissue?

This reminds me of the manager and engineer fable.....The manager is in a hot air balloon and lost.....

You can google that too. I expect everyone over the age of 30 has heard or read this joke.

Long story shorter....you are blaming me for something you don't know. I'm asking Americans what their memories of social conditions were like in the USA relative to the HK Flu of 1968.

You are Canadian, no? What relevant personal story are you going to be able to articulate?