Thread by @bopinion

In 1918, a strain of influenza virus originated in China and spread around the world. Politics and incompetence lead to an epidemic. Sound familiar? trib.al/kXhuxnL

The world was not ready as the virus mutated, becoming far more lethal and killing healthy young adults.

The new strain arrived in the U.S. in the early fall and Philadelphia was hit hard trib.al/kXhuxnL

Philadelphia was ill-prepared:

➡️Nearly 2 million people lived in close quarters
➡️Many transient workers, soldiers and sailors came and went
➡️Local politicians did not have a plan
➡️Corruption was rife trib.al/kXhuxnL

Local officials were slow to implement a real response, waiting until the flu began raging uncontrolled after a huge parade to close schools and cancel mass meetings.

By then it was too late trib.al/kXhuxnL

The epidemic became known as the Philadelphia flu of 1918. Approximately 150,000 people in the city had caught the disease; roughly 15,000, or 10%, died.

This was a far higher death toll than almost every other city in U.S. trib.al/kXhuxnL

It’s a lesson that local officials should heed as they prepare their own responses to the unfolding coronavirus pandemic.

While the CDC and other federal agencies have a large role to play, state and municipal officials will be on the frontlines trib.al/kXhuxnL