By Nov. 16, 1918, the New York influenza figures overall, from September 15 through November 16 – the period of New York’s epidemic – the city experienced nearly 147,000 cases influenza and pneumonia, which resulted in 20,608 deaths.

These figures gave New York an excess death rate of 452 per 100,000 individuals, the lowest on the Eastern seaboard. New York’s Health Commissioner Dr. Royal S. Copeland could be proud of his city of the work he did. By comparison, Philadelphia was the victim of incredibly poor timing and bad luck. In the end, the city experienced a excess death rate of 748 deaths per 100,000 population, one of the worst in the nation.