Brock's Book Blog

We live in challenging times. Times not seen in a century, times my great aunt, bless her soul, used to tell me stories about; horror stories of the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918. Great Aunt Gladys was a young woman in Victoria B.C. when the city was brought to it’s knee. As a lad of ten, I sat with rapt attention while she conjured images of victims dropping in the streets, a ghastly blue hue staining their skin, while foam crusted their lips. She spoke of hospitals crowded with the desperately ill, while Doctors peered in vain through microscopes searching to the cause of the unknown. If you contracted the flu, survival was a crap shoot. Wagons collected the losers of this macabre toss each morning. The killer virus eventually dissipated. However not until citizens banded in cooperation. Schools and public gathering places were shuttered. Neighbours checked on one another, sharing the misery and caring for one another. Masks were worn although not mandatory, and personal liberties sacrificed for the greater good. There were some who argued against preventative measures, but generally things passed relatively quickly.

My Great Aunt presented a story which was no doubt somewhat exaggerated. Out of a population of about 56,000, Victoria suffered only 218 deaths. I am not so sure there were wagons removing corpses but it was excellent fare for her wide eyed audience. However, one thing is certain, there was a great deal of social upheaval.

Back in my Aunt Glads’ time there was no internet offering rapid, easily accessible social media, or other means of tracking the spread of the global pandemic. None of the advantages we have for comprehension of a pandemic’s serious repercussions. The citizens of Victoria armed with little more than common sense handled the situation relatively well. Nation wide responses varied, and some areas experienced more devastation. Lessons were learned and one outcome of the 1918 horror was formation of a Federal Ministry of Health. For the first time, the Federal Government provided funding and unified direction to health crisis.

Our cousins to the south often throw scorn on our socialized medical system. However, in these times of COVID19 our national response has been unified and, although modified slightly from province to province, markedly effective. Politicians have avoided interference in public health administration leaving this to Health Care professionals. Lead by federal policy and funding, Provincial Ministers of Health, from coast to coast, stand behind health care professionals supporting by legislation were necessary an effective strategy based on scientific reality .

The White House seems determined to thwart top medical advisors at every turn. Some State Governors contradict health policy directives. The resultant patch work of response to COVID19 in the United States has produced chaotic results, indeed the worst profile of mismanagement in the world. Our Provincial health departments maintain unified, detailed records and produce accurate statistical profiles of the COVID’s progression. American administrations are far less transparent. One might speculate that political concerns outweigh administration of public health .

Canadians more readily respond to governmental suggestions where the common good is involved. Unlike Americans, we are not obsessed with individual rights and liberties. Our society is based on the good of all, not the rights of individuals. We have a Charter of Rights but I would like to think, an overriding sense of responsibility to our fellow citizens. This social contract allows us to coexist largely in a compassionate rather than competitive environment.

My discussion’s been rather droll… please, allow me to share a story which might uplift the mood.~~ When I was working in Ottawa as a counter terrorism investigator, we shared open office cubbyholes in subsections, depending on our area of focus. One of my cohort held a special passion for blazing hot curries. His post digestive side effects were predictable. One morning the tranquility of the office was overturned by a massive gaseous discharge. Seconds later the Sergeant bellowed ” Holy Martha Stewart Cpl.L….. what in God’s name did you eat last night?” This was followed immediately with a stampede of overturned chairs and flying papers as we fled en mass from the pervasive odour emitted by the gentleman.

Why, you might ask, is this relevant to my blog about the CVOVID ? Well, consider this…. If the COVID was transmitted in such a manner, would there be any objection to masking up in public, or maintaining social distance?