In June 1957 ‘Asian Flu’ caused a similar global disaster to Covid-19. Many people can probably remember that pandemic and the similarities to the present outbreak.

In the UK, it was estimated nine million caught Asian Flu and 14,000 people died of the immediate effects of their attack. The population in 1957 was about 51.03 million.

A journal by Dr Corbett McDonald on the Asian Flu pandemic (https://bjgp.org/content/59/565/622) throws some very interesting light on how the medical profession and government of that time dealt with Asian Flu. I’ve included the url for those who want to read the journal in full.

Dr McDonald draws a parallel back to the 1918 pandemic Spanish Flu and asks the question, have we taken advantage of the knowledge gained over the past 30 years?

Asian Flu started in Hong Kong and moved rapidly across the globe. As a new strain, there was no immunity in the population. In the UK vaccines were first distributed in October on a limited basis.

In 1957, London was at the centre of the World Influenza Research Centre acting as a clearing house for the world’s research and tracking of the virus.

First cases in the UK were in late June 1957. From mid-September onwards the virus spread starting in the North and spreading to the rest of the country. By August the virus was hitting schools and communities across the North West. It was broadcast that people should not visit their doctor if they had flu symptoms but stay at home and take aspirin.

The questions were asked. Was a clear message being given to the public? Was there a leadership role for medical organisations such as the BMA?

GPs took the workload in dealing with the virus. You needed a ‘sick note’ from your doctor to claim sickness pay. I can remember our doctor visiting us to sign off Mum and Dad

Industry suffered badly through people being ill. At the school I attended, out of 42 children in our class, 34 caught Asian Flu.

By August 1958 Asian flu was nearly gone.

Having read the journal I can see similarities between Covid-19 and Asian Flu; not in the disease itself, but in how the government and media have handled it. The public in 1957 seemed more resilient than today and just got on with it.

Let’s hope Covid-19 runs its course soon.

Curious Cat