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Taking a Look Back in Time
Many people have said that the tumultuous year that is 2020 could be something taken straight out of the plot of a dystopian movie, with the threat of the COVID 19 pandemic taking over the lives of many people. Movie or not, human society is no stranger to global pandemics, with records of multiple throughout history. Yet until recently, the idea of a disease being a threat to everyday life seemed to have disappeared from modern worries, with people in developed countries settling with confidence in modern science. If we take a look back to the pandemics of the past, there are actually similarities between human reactions then and now. From medieval times to the 20th century, human society has grappled with both the threat and the aftereffects of global pandemics.
The Black Death
It’s hard to think of pandemics and not think of the Black Death. From 1347-1351, this medieval plague took an estimated 75-200 million lives, which was between 17% and 45% of the entire global population at the time. Though there are multiple types of plagues associated with this pandemic, the majority of cases came from the bubonic plague. Caused by bubonic plague bacteria, the bubonic plague primarily spread itself through infectious fleas. These infected fleas then spread it to rats, who then transmitted it to humans.
The name “Black Death” came from the shocking symptoms of the bubonic plague. Black sores caused by internal hemorrhages, known as buboes, covered the body, and swelling of the groin and lymph nodes also took on a dark color. The bubonic plague also caused a high fever and joint pain, and it was often fatal after only 72 hours. Though the Black Death swept through the entire world, it’s well known for the effect it had on medieval Europe, taking a total of 20 million lives. In terms of treatment, European doctors at the time were at a loss. Sanitation was so poor that carts full of bodies in the streets became a common sight and contracting the infection was thought of as a death sentence. People would flee their homes at the sight of illness, and the increased travelonly led to the disease spreading even further.
Before the infections even began, medieval Europe was already struggling with a plague taking their livestock, crop failures and famine, and the aftereffects of the 100 Years War. After everything that had happened already, many people in Europe were just in awe of the chaos the plague brought on them. Some claimed it came from the supernatural, others blamed it on sinners, or claimed the Black Death was a trick of the Devil. Others followed old prejudices and placed the blame on Jews, going so far as to attack them; many Jews ended up fleeing to Poland as a result.
The Spanish Flu
The H1N1 influenza A virus appears to share the symptoms as the typical flu–coughing, fever, nausea, aches–but in a day, a healthy 20-year-old would turn blue from suffocation when their lungs filled with a bloody substance. The Spanish Flu, as it came to be known, is estimated to have killed 20-40 million in just 1 year. What made it so dangerous was that it targeted healthy, young people, as opposed to the regular flu which was the most dangerous to the elderly and young children. While the Spanish Flu did not last as long as other pandemics, the rapid spread led to 1/3 of the global population getting infected; this virus killed more people in 1 year than in 4 years of the Black Death, with a mortality rate of 2.5%.
Although its name came from Spain, the Spanish Flu did not originate there. The first cases were actually on a military base in the state of Kansas, but with the first World War raging on, it received little attention. Spain was neutral in the war, so when their numbers grew, and their king became infected, the country became the focal point of the reports on the sickness, and the nickname “the Spanish Flu” was born. World War I also contributed to the spread, due to massive movements of troops and the horrible conditions in the trenches. More Americans died of the flu overseas in 1918 than in actual battle, and when troops returned home, they brought the sickness with them.
Once the flu broke out in the United States, the rapid spread overwhelmed hospitals. Many doctors had gone off to war, either dying overseas or tending to sick troops, so treatment of civilians had to fall to medical students, and emergency hospitals were created to take in more patients. Even United States President Woodrow Wilson contracted the disease. Public health departments took strict measures to contain the spread of the flu. Gauze masks were distributed to be worn in public, stores were closed, funeral attendance was limited, and some towns required certificates to enter. Those who ignored the ordinances had to pay steep fines, and they were enforced by police officers. The American people were willing to give in to strict government control if it was said to be for the good of the country.
See Anything Familiar?
It may be hard to look at the medieval disaster that was the Black Death and see any similarities to what we face now with COVID-19, and to be fair there are many glaring differences. Yet, the people’s reaction, particularly the blaming of others, is something we have definitely seen in the U.S. The people of Europe blamed the Jews for their suffering and that led to attacks. In the U.S. many people blame Asian Americans for COVID-19 spreading from China, and this has also led to harassment and attacks.
There are many more similarities when we look at the Spanish Flu and compare it to the coronavirus. Both targeted healthy people, both caused many hospitals to reach their limits, and in both cases news coverage focused on one country or area as the culprit. On the other hand, a more interesting difference between the Spanish Flu and COVID-19 was the reaction of the American people. The Spanish Flu took hold when WWI was finally dying down. The surge of nationalism from the war led to the American people being more comfortable with strict governmental control and more willing to follow the guidelines given to them. We see almost the exact opposite with American reactions to coronavirus. People use their rights as American citizens as an excuse to choose whether or not to follow guidelines as they believe their own personal rights outweigh what would be good for the nation as a whole. It’s interesting that in an age of constant and instant information, many people are still underestimating how devastating a pandemic like this one can be. Human society shares both similar and completely different reactions to global pandemics throughout history, and maybe the past can help the present get through these times. •
