Spanish Flu Philadelphia

About Spanish Flu Philadelphia

The 1918 Spanish Flu hit Philadelphia with devastating force. On September 28, 1918, the city held a Liberty Loan parade to sell war bonds, drawing 200,000 people. Within days, the citys hospitals were full, and within weeks thousands of Philadelphians had died. The parade is often cited as an example of the risks of mass gatherings during an epidemic. Dr Wilmer Krusen, the city health director, resisted canceling public gatherings despite warnings. By contrast, St Louis closed schools, churches, and theaters within days of its first cases and experienced a much lower peak death rate. Researchers have cited the Philadelphia experience as evidence for the value of early social distancing. The city ultimately lost approximately 12,000 to 16,000 residents to the pandemic. The morgue was overwhelmed, with bodies stacked in homes for days. The contrast between Philadelphia and St Louis was cited extensively during COVID 19 in debates over lockdowns and gathering restrictions.