ADADDavis said he was “astonished” it took New York until Wednesday night to make that call, given the cautionary tale of Philadelphia’s deadly Liberty Loan parade. ADAs a precautionary measure, the city printed out 20,000 fliers giving Philadelphia residents advice on how to avoid catching the flu. It compared Philadelphia to St. Louis, which in 1918 canceled its Liberty Loan parade for the war effort, while closing schools and discouraging large social gatherings. AD“With the flu pandemic at its peak, St. Louis decided to cancel its parade, while Philadelphia chose to continue. The next month, more than 10,000 people in Philadelphia died from pandemic flu, while the death toll in Saint Louis did not rise above 700,” the CDC noted.

Source: Washington Post March 12, 2020 11:15 UTC