On Oct. 4, 1918, Washington, D.C. physicians were ordered to report all influenza cases and isolate patients. Public libraries were closed. George Washington University closed, and Georgetown University suspended regular classes while the school’s Student Army Training Corps units were placed under a campus-wide quarantine.

The federal government even took action, closing the Library of Congress and the Senate and House galleries, and postponing public court hearings. The situation was growing worse by the day, with nearly 3,000 cases total officially reported in the city.