During the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, U.S. cities responded with varying levels of intervention. St. Louis instituted early closures of schools, theaters, and public gatherings, while Philadelphia held a major parade after the first cases were detected. Death rates per capita in Philadelphia ultimately exceeded those of St. Louis by several times, and the difference persisted even after both cities' outbreaks subsided.
Which conclusion most logically follows from the passage?
- Acheck_circle
Local public-health decisions appear to have measurably affected pandemic outcomes
- B
Philadelphia's outbreak ended sooner than St. Louis's
- C
Population density was the only factor in pandemic mortality
- D
Public gatherings have no relationship to disease transmission
Explanation
Different policies correlating with markedly different outcomes supports B. A overstates a single factor; C and D are unsupported or contradicted.