Local Funeral Home Explains Similarities Between COVID-19, Spanish Flu

Joe Holden reports.

IN 1918, THE CITY OFPHILADELPHIA BECAME ACAUTIONARY TAIL AFTER A SERIESOF DECISION THAT IS LED TO AHUGE RESURGENCE OF THE SPANISHFLU.THOUSANDS DIED.JOE HOLDEN SPOKE EMPLOYEES ATA FUNERAL HOME THAT WAS AROUNDIN 1918, THEY EXPLAINED THESIMILARITIES BETWEEN THEN ANDNEW AND LESSONS LEARNED.REPORTER: FORTY DEAD AUGUST 17TH, CAUSE OF DEATHPNEUMONIA.WE'RE RELIVING HISTORY.REPORTER: THESE BOOKS TELLA STORY OF A PANDEMIC'S GRIPON PHILADELPHIA PAGE AFTERPAGE THESE ARE FINALARRANGEMENTS OF THOSE DEADFROM THE SPANISH FLU OF 1918.IT GIVES A VERY GOODHISTORY OF LOOKING AT WHO THEPEOPLE WERE THAT PASSED AWAY,HOW OLD THEY WERE, AND WHATEXACTLY THEY DIED FROM, YOUKNOW, FOR THIS CASE IT WOULDSAY PNEUMONIA.CONSTANTLY WE ARE SEEINGPNEUMONIA, PNEUMONIA.AND THEN DETAILED RECORD OFTHE FUNERAL THAT THEY HADREPORT REPORT JOHN P DONAHUE'SFUNERAL HOME WAS BASED IN WESTPHILADELPHIA HIS OUTFIT BURIEDSO MANY VICTIMS IN 1918 THEYRAN OUT OF ROOM IN THEIRLEDGER AND CREATED AN OVERFLOWBOOK.THEY RAN OUT OF ROOM IN THEIRBUILDING AND FORCED TO STACKCASKETS OUTSIDE.DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOM TOSTORE THEM INSIDE.PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO STEELTHEM AT NIGHT TO BURY THEIROWN.REPORTER: PICTURECIRCULATING WARNS OF REOPENINGSOCIETY TOO QUICKLY.SECOND WAVE OF THE FLU HITPHILADELPHIA FOLLOWING AMASSIVE PARADE IN 1918, IT WASDEADLIER THEN THE FIRST.DOCTOR JOSEPH CALMER IS AVILLANOVA UNIVERSITY BIOLOGYPROFESSOR.WHAT WE DON'T WANT IS TOOPEN UP TOO EARLY AGAIN ANDTHEN HAVE A REALLY BIG SECONDWAVE LIKE WE SAW WITH THEINFLUENZA PANDEMIC IN 1918.REPORTER: WHILE PATIENTS ISWEARING THIN TO REOPENECONOMIES, DELAWARE COUNTYJUST CONFIRMED OPENING OF THETEMPORARY MORGUE, AND THISFUNERAL HOME WOULD NORMALLYAVERAGE 20 FUNERALS A WEEK,OVER LAST SEVEN DAYS THATFIGURE HAS NEARLY TRIPLED.FUNERAL DIRECTORS SAY OVER TWOMONTHS THIS PANDEMIC HASDRAMATICALLY CHANGE HOW THEYDELIVER THEIR SERVICES.THE QUESTION, AND THE MYSTERYIS, WHEN MAY THINGS GO BACK TO