By Cyril Cobb, El Gaucho, October 4, 1957
As yet the UCSBC campus has not been invaded by the highly touted, evil virus which is insidiously ravishing the nation, the Asiatic or Asian flu. All around us this criminal little Oriental has been wreaking havoc. In the Carpinteria High School 120 out of 300 students were struck down temporarily by this microscopic adversary and at the Cal-Berkeley campus hundreds of students have been silently visited. Closer to home, the St. Anthony Seminary school reported approximately 100 cases of the malady out of 170 students.
According to Dr. Hart at the City Health Department, we are not to be spared forever. About 20% to 40% of any large group should be affected by the virus unless vaccine is administered. Even then, the vaccine is only 70% effective.
The symptoms of Asiatic flu are about the same as those for the common American variety. Muscle pains, headache, nausea, weakness and all those nice things. This happy little virus is energetic, though. He does the job up well and can make one miserable for from three to ten days. If one encounters what he thinks are the symptoms of this virus, the best thing he can do is to “sack out” and stay away from all the lucky people who have not been infected. As with any disease of its type, this thing thrives in a crowd. It loves to jump from person to person in a gay little social climbing way.
Do not panic, however; we are advised by the student health service that help is on the way in the form of vaccine. Waving flags of righteousness, this stern, gray-eyed, lantern-jawed vaccine will thwart the vicious invader before he establishes his beachhead. Look for announcements of the time when you may receive inoculations of this glorious avenger.
