1/ Perspective. UPI 12/19/1968: “POTUS Johnson hospitalized with [Hong Kong] flu at Bethesda Naval Hospital. POTUS Johnson entered the hospital for a stay of several days for treatment of an ‘upper respiratory ailment’” https://www.newspapers.com/image/416183452 ">https://www.newspapers.com/image/416...

2/ "Health officials in Washington, DC said 10% of the population of the nation’s capital had contracted a & #39;flu-like illness.’ Nearby Baltimore, MD had a 15% attack rate.”

3/ Via @luigi_warren for important mortality comparison w/C19 bec of larger, more aged current US pop: "The adjusted death toll for the & #39;68-& #39;69 Hong Kong flu would be ~265K. That& #39;s using the >65 fraction as a proxy for a full re-weighting by age"

4/ AP 12.18.1968, when POTUS Johnson, who had “a history of bronchial difficulties” & a “moderately severe” 1955 heart attack (WP 11/24/68), was admitted to Bethesda Naval Hospital during H3N2 flu pandemic with “low grade fever (100-101 F) & a chest cold” https://www.newspapers.com/image/529383559 ">https://www.newspapers.com/image/529...