May 2020

Page A12 MAY 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS S ec t i on A mymortuarycooler.com Are you state compliant? Continued from Front Page Mohawk Valley Funerals flatten the curve of reported cases. Funeral homes across the country are taking action, and Mohawk Valley Fu- nerals and Cremations is no exception. In March, the directors of Mohawk Valley Funerals, which serves the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York, wanted to pay it forward. They were aware of the ex- tremely difficult circumstances in which medical pro- fessionals currently work and wanted to show their sup- port for all they are doing for the community. The Mohawk Valley Funerals staff hand-delivered de- licious Ed’s Pizza subs to the emergency room staff at Little Falls Hospital. These medical professionals are deserving of our appreciation, and the funeral home hoped that this small act of kindness would lift their spirits during this difficult time. While handing the subs to the ER staff, the directors were sure to thank the emergency room staff for all that they do. The Mohawk Valley Funerals and Cremations funeral home was founded by Dan Enea , a third generation funeral home director, who opened the funeral home doors to serve Mohawk Valley in 2013. Send Us Your News! PO Box 5159, Youngstown, OH 44514 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Fax 1-800-321-9040 info@nomispublications.com ease control systems, we have better communication plat- forms, and the general public’s knowledge and awareness of the prevention and control of infectious disease have dramatically improved. However, the source of SARS virus remains a myth.” Ebola 2014-2016 The Ebola virus caught the attention and the fear of all the world, and for good reason. The disease emanated from Africa through animals such as fruit bats, chimpanzees, gorillas, monkeys, forest ante- lope or porcupines found ill or dead or in the rainforest. Humans transmit Ebola through direct contact, broken skin, mucous membranes by humans that have had con- tact or objects that have had contact such as drinking glass- es and toothbrushes. Healthline.com states: “Ebola is a serious and deadly vi- rus transmitted by animals and humans. It was initially de- tected in 1976 in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Researchers named the disease after the Ebola Riv- er. Until recently, Ebola appeared in Africa only. “Although the Ebola virus has been present for more than 35 years, the largest outbreak began in West Africa in March 2014. This outbreak has proven more deadly, se- vere, and widespread than previous outbreaks.” Those who cared for the dead were warned to contain the virus within the remains. Do not cremate as the disease might be released by the body’s opening during the pro- cess. Do not embalm as you are releasing the bodily fluids. Immediate burial was a widely suggested disposition. We must realize this is not the first pandemic the world has faced. The world has survived, from the Black Plague to this global disease and will conquer this and life will re- turn to normal. It will become another part of history. Un- til then, we wish for all good health and common sense, the real victors of infectious disease. “It takes a variety of strategies and initiatives to address this pandemic. It’s about life and death and the survival of humanity.” – Barbara Lee Observations “After all it really is all of humanity that is under threat during a pandemic.” –Margaret Chan, Physician The world at war. Bombs have not been dropped; but borders have been closed. Troops have been deployed; governments on high alert; international panic prevails. Everyone is on full alert against a virus. As of March 31, 177 countries have been infected. 857,487 worldwide have been infected, 42,107 have died. Welcome to the world of Coronavirus (COVID-19). These figures change daily. The apex of this disease has not been reached for most cities. Tragic as it is, frightening as it is, devastating as it is, it has precedence in other pandemics in the world and the United States. Yellow Fever - Pennsylvania 1793-1794 Our temporary national capital of Philadelphia was hit with Yellow Fever in in July of 1793. It killed one tenth of the people of Philadelphia. Ships from Haiti and Santa Do- mingo, their refugees and infected crew members have been blamed for this malady. The first husband of Dolly Madison and her infant son were two of the many casualties. George and Martha Washington escaped the disease by retreating to Mount Vernon. Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declara- tion of Independence, gave warnings like those of today. The available cleansers were only vinegar and camphor for disin- fecting sickrooms. Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton and his wife Elizabeth Schuyler Hamilton became infected. Yellow Fever produced vile diarrhea, hemorrhaging and vomiting. The remains of Yellow Fever victims were already decomposing before death. Cemeteries were at capacity. Many of the African American residents were believed to be immune from Yellow Fever and filled in where needed. May- or Clarkson later reflected on the African-Americans who served, “Their diligence, attention and decency of deport- ment, afforded me, at the time, much satisfaction.” Despite the mistaken belief, 240 black residents died of Yellow Fever. The disease peaked in October and November 1793. Spanish Flu 1918 Influenza was first turned into an epidemic in San Sebas- tian, Spain. King Alfonso XIII was one of Spain’s infected; gravely ill, he recovered. The disease credited for ending World War I by felling sol- diers from all sides to illness leaving few to fight. In March 1918, it appeared in the U.S. through returning soldiers at Fort Riley, Kansas. Albert Mitchell, a cook, con- tracted the illness, 104 the next day, 414 the day after. 48 soldiers ultimately died. Camp Taylor near Louisville, Ken- By Steven Palmer tucky lost 1,500 soldiers. Kentucky residents gathered to buy War Bonds and 15,000 fell to the disease. San Diego had 5,000 infected with 368 dying from the disease. Paris lost 11,500. London had 10,313 sick seamen. Indonesia lost 1.5 million. Bombay lost 1,500 to the influenza. Boston brought the flu onboard ship and 2,000 sailors were stricken. An Army tent had to be set up at Dorchester’s New Calvary Cemetery for the backlog of burials. Fort Devens, located in the mid-eastern part of Massachu- setts, was treating 50,000 patients. The peak brought 100 deaths per day. One barrack was commandeered as a morgue and trains were used to move the dead. When we consider the cancellation of public events, we must consider that in 1918 during the influenza epidemic, Philadel- phia held its Liberty Loan Parade (a parade to help sell Liberty Bonds) with hundreds of thousands in attendance. The hos- pitals quickly filled with the many new infected. Weeks lat- er, 13,000 were dead. Eventually, 50 million dead worldwide and 675,000 dead in the United States. Nurses found the dead in homes with other infected people, some covered with ice. Cemeteries, deluged with burials and losing staff to the disease, turned to inmates to dig graves. Soldiers were used as needed. Caskets for World War I soldiers were commandeered to bury the flu dead. Public gatherings, including funerals, were pro- hibited. Asian Flu 1957 and 1968 In 1957, the name of the Asian Flu became one pandemic to fear. First identified in Kweichow, China, it spread to Hong Kong and Singapore. In Japan, 80,000 infected and 1,000 dead. It spread to India, Philippines, Australia, Indonesia and Iran. It continued its spread to other countries. When it came to the United States, New York was hit hard. The elderly, the pregnant and infants were the most vulnerable. United States lost nearly 70,000 to this pandemic. 1968 brought us another flu from the same area, Kweichow and Yunnan, China. It spread to Singapore, the Philippines, Ja- pan and Australia. It moved on to Mediterranean, Europe and British Isles. Soldiers returning from Vietnam helped bring the disease to our shores. San Diego port deportees throughout California to New Jersey to Pennsylvania. It eventually killed 33,800. SARS 2004-2006 Another disease that was not recognized for the danger it was, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) was a pneu- monia-like illness, infecting 29 countries, killing about 1 in ev- ery 10 people struck. Their suggested method of containment was testing, isolating people and screening at airports. People over 60 with other chronic conditions were prone. Heart and liver failure brought on by SARS led to deaths. 8,096 people in 26 countries, over 774 deaths. We thought the world would be better prepared after SARS. Dr. Jianfeng He, chief expert of the Guangdong provincial CDC and the director of Guangdong institute for infectious disease control and prevention, stated, “We have better dis- Past and Present Pestilence Steven Palmer entered funeral service in 1971. He is an honors graduate of the New England Institute of Applied Arts & Sciences. He has been licensed on both coasts, he owned the Westcott Funeral Homes of Cottonwood and Camp Verde, AZ, where he remains ac- tive in operations. Steve offers his observations on current funeral ser- vice issues. He may be reached by mail at PO Box 352, Cottonwood, AZ 86326, by phone at (928)634-9566, by fax at (928)634-5156, by e-mail at steve@westcottfuneralhome.com or through his website at www.westcottfuneralhome.com or on Facebook. 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