August 7, 2005
Dallas Morning News
A proclamation from the mayor of Dallas:
"Whereas, It has been determined that an epidemic of influenza exists in the city of Dallas and that the said disease is rapidly spreading on account of gatherings of various descriptions; and,
"Whereas, The preservation of the public health and safety demands that steps be taken to check the spread of said disease by the discontinuance of gatherings of every description,
"Now, therefore, I, Joe E. Lawther, ... do here, now, issue my proclamation ... that the public schools, churches, private schools, colleges and universities of the city of Dallas, and other like places, be closed ..."
DallasNews.com/extra
What you need to know: Avian Flu transmission, containment and concerns
In the months before that order was issued, in October 1918, officials had no clue that a deadly flu virus, which would eventually kill at least 50 million people worldwide, was on the rise and about to sweep the globe.
Today, medical science leaves no doubt that avian flu is a looming global threat.
In fact, it seems that warnings about the flu are suddenly all around us, in print, in cyberspace and on the airwaves. In the face of these frightening and often confusing reports, one natural response is to shut down, turn aside, decide to worry about it tomorrow.
And, in fact, there's no call to panic. It's not time to stock up on bottled water and nonperishable foodstuffs. But it is time to pay attention. Reputable scientists, not just alarmists, agree that the threat of a global flu pandemic exists and that the time to plan for it is now.
Much of that planning must take place at the national level. The United States is engaged in that effort, but many other, less advanced nations are not. The United Nations and the World Health Organization should intensify efforts toward international planning.
Closer to home, local and state governments, medical institutions and all employers need to figure out how they will operate if a pandemic forces closures and quarantines such as the one Mayor Lawther ordered in 1918. Each of us should think about what our families would need and how we adults might continue to perform our jobs if we were confined at home for several weeks.
We can hope that those plans will never have to be activated. We just can't count on it.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/editorials/stories/080705dnediflu.2282750f.html