The Precedent of Pandemics in St. Louis
A History of Pandemic Response in St. Louis Schools
By: Andrew Diemer
With the concerns around social distancing and keeping as many people as healthy as possible, the coronavirus pandemic has led multiple services to close, including schools. When and how long a school should shut down operations is at the front of the minds of parents, teachers, administrators, and others. But, this is a decision St. Louis and other cities have faced before.
In a search for a grounding context to bring perspective to the outbreak, local and national news organizations have made the comparison to the Spanish Flu of 1918 and for good reason, as recent work has suggested that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is about as transmissible as the Spanish Flu while being slightly less severe. St. Louis’ response to the flu pandemic a century ago shows how cities responded in previous situations and why it is so important to be proactive in decreasing exposure through school closures.
St. Louis’ Experience in a Pandemic
During the pandemic of 1918, St. Louis (then, one of the largest cities in the nation) answered the Spanish Flu by closing schools, suspending business, and preventing large gatherings of people. At the time, these precautionary measures of St. Louis’ health commissioner, Dr. Max Starkloff, were condemned by the St. Louis community but have been lauded as of late for mitigating the spread of disease in the city then.
When Dr. Starkloff began mandating limitations on the city, business, and school functions, there were already 3,000 confirmed cases of Spanish Flu in St. Louis City alone. The decision to close schools (paired with other safeguards) slowed the spread of the Spanish Flu, averted health care facilities being completely overrun, and resulted in St. Louis being one of the least adversely affected cities in the nation - a remarkable feat considering its size at the time. Other cities, such as Philadelphia, had starkly different reactions to the Spanish Flu, opting to maintain status-quo, even continuing to allow mass gatherings. These cities suffered the most from the Spanish Flu and are serving as a cautionary tale for us today.
Missouri During COVID-19
Today, Starkloff’s approach is being viewed as a guide for preventing the spread of coronavirus. There is still no vaccine to combat COVID-19, and until one is created, tested, and mass-produced, limiting mass gatherings of people is essential to prevent the spread of the disease where those that are infected may not be showing symptoms.
At the time of writing, there are at least 183 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Missouri (with 112 being in St. Louis City and County). So, while our current situation seems less severe compared to other major states and cities, Missouri is following the national trend of closures and there are likely to be many more positive tests to come as Missouri ramps up testing. Still, safety measures are occurring at an earlier stage of the COVID-19 outbreak as compared to the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918. The goal is to limit the spread of the coronavirus as much as possible and put an emphasis on public health and safety over everything else.
As of March 24, all of Missouri’s 555 public schools are closed through at least April 3 and the state also announced they would be canceling the statewide assessment. However, many districts in Kansas City and St. Louis metro areas have extended their closure date through April 22nd to coincide with the mayor’s and county executive’s stay-at-home order. These school closures come following the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) revised recommendations to schools for responding to the spread of COVID-19. In that recommendation, the CDC reminds us that schools have an important role in slowing the spread of diseases but, more importantly, of protecting vulnerable students and staff.
It is important to keep in mind that during the outbreak of the Spanish Flu, the most vulnerable were hit the hardest when fewer precautions were taken. The PRiME Center has recently weighed in on some of the likely drawbacks arising from long term school closure especially as they impact students with the most disadvantages. Though, given the current state of emergency, schools must shut down to protect students, staff, and faculty. So, in place of in-person schooling, school districts are providing distance learning and take-home meals. The PRiME Center has also compiled some resources to supplement the distance learning provided by school districts as well.
Concluding Thoughts
The decision to close a school is difficult and not one that superintendents and principals take lightly. They have a vested interest in making sure their students, teachers, and staff are safe and taken care of. These decisions to close must be and have been made with the most vulnerable populations in mind and are coming with creative solutions to help continue the education and non-educational services schools provide. When that happens, Missourians will hopefully benefit from a public health and educational standpoint, or, at the very least, stand a fighting chance.