In 1918, Philadelphia didn't cancel an important parade in the midst of a pandemic.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The results were devestating.

The spread of the novel coronavirus has resulted in events being postponed or canceled across the country -- everything from the NBA and concerts to universities and schools has been affected.

It might be enough to make people wonder: Is all this necessary?

The answer is yes. Just look at Philadelphia in 1918, and the spread of the flu.

How the Spanish flu hit Philadelphia

In September 1918, Philadelphia held a planned Liberty Loan Parade to promote the government bonds that were being issued to pay for World War I.

But the parade took place when the pandemic commonly called the "Spanish flu" -- the H1N1 virus -- arrived in the city of 1.7 million people.

The virus swept the world between 1918 and 1919. About a third of the entire world's population -- about 500 million people at the time -- were infected with the virus, and about 50 million died, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There was no vaccine against the virus.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/in-1918-philadelphia-didnt-cancel-an-important-parade-in-the-midst-of-a-pandemic-the-results-were-devestating/ar-BB11d77l?li=BBnb7Kz

[Greybnk48]

1. My 25 y/o grandmother died of Spanish Flu.

She left behind my dad, who was 5 1/2ish, my aunt and 2 uncles. They had come here from Belfast 6 1/2 years earlier and did NOT settle in Philadelphia with my 3 great-aunts. They eschewed city life and went out to the "wild west" to raise their kids; Billings MT with their Uncle Bill from Belfast. They weren't poor and did not come through Ellis Island, so had the where with all to do this.

After my grandmother's death, two days after symptoms started, my grandfather went back to Philly where he and her 3 aunts raised the kids. That's where I was born in the 40's.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. Yup and the city doesn't want to risk that again

and had cancelled what would have been the 250th annual St. Patty's Day parade (that was supposed to happen yesterday).

https://www.phillyvoice.com/100-years-ago-spanish-flu-philadelphia-killed-thousands-influenza-epidemic-libery-loan-parade/