[silverleaf]

You also had a whole lot more people who were rural, and able to stay home, avoid crowds, and take care of themselves and family members

And no global jet travel where a person sick in Hong Kong could be in NYC 18 hours later

Face it, the greatest medical system in the world can’t put tens of thousands of people on respirators, even if it would keep them alive. And most Americans will find it very hard to stay hunkered down at home for weeks if schools and grocery stores are closed

[OldDeckHand]

"Face it, the greatest medical system in the world can’t put tens of thousands of people on respirators, even if it would keep them alive. And most Americans will find it very hard to stay hunkered down at home for weeks if schools and grocery stores are closed"

That's exactly right. I have no idea how this latest pandemic compares to 1918. But, if that 1918 Flu would have happened today, instead of then, it would still be very, very deadly. It probably wouldn't be as deadly as it was 100 years ago because of advances as distribution of modern medicine, but millions would be dead in America, and tens or hundreds of millions globally. An influenza with a 3.5% mortality rate (like the Spanish Flu), would be devastating today.

[PA Engineer]

Face it, the greatest medical system in the world can’t put tens of thousands of people on respirators, even if it would keep them alive. And most Americans will find it very hard to stay hunkered down at home for weeks if schools and grocery stores are closed

Bingo.