As cities around the world try to contain the spread of the coronavirus, history offers a sobering lesson about the effectiveness of lockdowns and banning mass gatherings. In 1918, amid the Spanish flu pandemic, the city of Philadelphia in the United States decided not to cancel a huge parade. In contrast, the U.S. city of St. Louis imposed tough measures early on that banned public events. As a result, Philadelphia's death rate from Spanish flu was two times higher than that of St. Louis's.
Lessons In Lockdowns: Philadelphia Vs. St. Louis Amid The 1918 Spanish Flu
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A sign that reads "Spit Spreads Death" hangs on a lamppost near City Hall in Philadelphia in 1918. Officials installed signs around the city and distributed fliers to residents with health advice in hopes of stopping the spread of the Spanish flu.
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A 1918 health sign inside a Philadelphia public transport vehicle encourages passengers to cooperate and not to spit.
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A report on the staffing crisis at a military depot in Philadelphia on October 8, 1918. The flu was highly contagious and spreading rapidly. This military report notified the Office Quartermaster-General in Washington, D.C., that 11 officers and 1,489 employees were "absent today" and that the situation was not improving.
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A flu victim being escorted to the hospital by police in Philadelphia in October 1918.