CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With so many large events canceling, the end goal is to slow down the spread of infections, so hospitals don't get overwhelmed. There is proof social distancing works.
Two reports published more than a decade ago reveal the number of people who may need to be hospitalized could far outpace the number of available hospital beds.
The reports, published in the late 2000s,both reference the Spanish Flu of 1918. St. Louis, which canceled large events, experienced far fewer deaths (less than 700) than Philadelphia (roughly 12,000), which held a large parade.
As top state and local health officials reassure the public about North Carolina and South Carolina's preparedness to handle the Coronavirus pandemic, the decade only reports show prior preparation for another pandemic: the influenza pandemic
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