Lesson From History: The Public Gathering That Killed 4,500 People From Spanish Flu
Lesson From History: The Public Gathering That Killed 4,500 People From Spanish Flu

As the world shuns gatherings to help contain the spread of the coronavirus covid-19, a little talked about page from history whows that a 1918 Philadelphia WWI fun-raising parade caused at least 4,597 people to die from so-called spanish flu.

Philadelphia's fourth Liberty Loan drive parade on September 28, 1918 saw aproximately 200,000 packed together to cheer on the two-mile long paradade.

Within 72 hours of the event, every bed in Philadelphia's 31 hospitals was filled.

There was some hope from the tragedy though, the majority died in the week ending 16 October, but by 11 November influenza had almost disappeared from the city.