Philly parade spread virus like wildfire

Relentless patriotism was used to sell bonds to the public. Cities competed to raise the most money. Parades were part of it.

Like today’s coronavirus, the 1918 virus spread primarily by person-to-person contact. Philadelphia’s Liberty Loans Parade, which drew about 200,000 onlookers, provided the perfect path to unleash infection.

Infections were spreading before the parade. Several physicians urged the city’s public health director, to cancel the parade.

He didn’t.