The 1918 Spanish Influenza Pandemic-Influenza Mild
From: Oakland Tribune, 05 October 1918, Page 2, Column 4
INFLUENZA IS MILD HERE; PRECAUTIONS
With the sixteen cases of Spanish Influenza which have been reported in the Eastbay cities assuming but a mild form there will be no quarantine declared for the present except to the individual patient. The six cases reported to the Oakland Health Department are confined to strangers entering the city. No new cases beyond the eight already reported have developed in Berkeley. Alameda has reported two victims of the epidemic. According to Dr. Kirby Smith of the Oakland Health Department, the city need not be alarmed over the spread of Spanish Influenza as every precaution is being taken.
Surgeon-General Blue sent a representative to cities threatened with the epidemic to check its spread by closing churches, schools, theaters, public institution. In Washington the civil authorities have called upon the clergy of the city to discontinue all church services until further notice.
Civil authorities in Oakland, Berkeley and Alameda are agreed that such action is not necessary yet as the disease is well under control.
The death rate in army caps at home for the week ended September 27 was 34.4 per thousand, an increase of 30 per cent over the preceding week and was due to influenza and pneumonia, the public health service weekly states. There are 12,975 new cases among the soldiers in the United States army camps.
