By Amen Dilawar
Editor’s Introduction: The science behind infectious diseases takes time and effort to understand. Today, scientists, computer modeling experts, and medical professionals around the world are collaborating online to demystify and cure the novel coronavirus we now face. Below is an article attempting to learn from the past by comparing the current viral crisis to a medieval pandemic remembered by epidemiologists as ”The Black Death.” The protective quarantining necessary during this scourge of the Middle Ages was immortalized by a famous Italian work of literature called “The Decameron” by Giovanni Boccaccio (1313 -1375). Boccaccio survived an outbreak of bubonic plague in 1348 and was inspired to write this “frame novel” about how ten Italians entertained each other while forced to “shelter in place” to avoid the illness.
What is the “Bubonic Plague”?
The bubonic plague is caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis. It can spread through contact with infected fleas first carried by warm-blooded animals such as rats. Symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, which can be as large as chicken eggs, in the groin, armpit, or neck. They may be tender and warm. Others include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. Bubonic plague requires urgent hospital treatment with strong antibiotics. It was one of the most devastating pandemics in history. It was also called ”the black death” because lymph nodes became blackened after bacteria entered through the skin. In the days before germ theory or antibiotics, the Black Death is estimated to have killed 30% to 60% of Europe’s population. In total, this plague may have reduced the world’s population during the 14th century from an estimated 475 million to 350–375 million. It was quite deadly.
Different genetic strains of flu virus.
What is the Coronavirus?
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China. It has severely affected the U.S. and remains an ongoing threat. Countless people have been infected and the number of recorded cases keeps going up.
How are the Bubonic Plague and Coronavirus similar?
The early identifying signs of both the plague, and Corvid-19, are similar. People initially get fever and flu-like symptoms. In October of 1347, the Black Death—a variant of bubonic plague— arrived in Europe. It was allegedly spread to humans from flea-infested rats, and began to kill almost half the population. This event changed Europe’s social order and transformed the continent forever. The coronavirus is also a virus that migrated from infected animals to attack humans, and everywhere it spreads it is changing how people live, work, and play.
Much like how the plague attacked western Europe, the novel coronavirus initially caused the most harm in China, South Korea, and Italy. Viral diseases are typically first noticed in specific regions. This does not always mean the illness originated where it was first reported. For example, the so-called “Spanish Influenza of 1918” did not originate in Spain. Spain was merely the first country to report seeing cases of this flu because back then Spain was not fighting in the First World War, and therefore felt no need to prevent their national press from reporting a new viral disease. Research now suggests that the “Spanish Influenza” actually originated on an army base in Kansas, before American troops trained there were sent to fight In Europe.
According to what we know now, Covid-19 first appeared in Wuhan, China. Yet the first case of a related strain of this coronavirus was reported in 2012 in Saudi Arabia, and it has since caused illness in people in various countries. Because viruses tend to mutate as they move through different populations, new genetic mutations can dictate how contagious or deadly a particular strain will be. The most recent corona outbreak originated December 2019 within the Chinese city of Wuhan. It has since turned out to be particularly dangerous, and government officials in affected countries try to slow the spread of this virus by closing all schools, restaurants, bars, public libraries, theatres, and other public places.
People fear Corvid-19, and that fear mirrors how people were scared of the bubonic plague in the past. Moreover, the coronavirus was transmitted to humans by animals, while the Bubonic plague is said to have initially been spread by infected rats carried back to Europe on merchant ships.
Contradicting previous American assumptions that Chinese travellers might have brought the virus into the U. S., it now seems that American tourists returning from Europe earlier this year may be most responsible for spreading the version of the virus currently ravaging the New York area. An April 8th article appearing in the New York Times, cites data collected by the international group of scientists mapping genetic mutations in the coronavirus. This data indicates that the corona strain found in most New York cases came from Europe through both American and European nationals arriving in New York this February.
During the Black Death, unproven rumors got spread attributing the disease to bad air and miasmas, as well as to Jewish communities. Today, coronavirus has been blamed on everything from biological weapons labs, to 5G cell towers, to the Gates Foundation. As an individual, one can help fight this virus by ignoring the viral myths that spread today. A lot of people like to make propaganda memes and spread false information that endanger peoples’ lives. So our job is to discover what is true, and to react in an appropriate way.
We must not indulge in racism, or scapegoat anyone, even if they are from Asia or China. Instead of fretting about the coronavirus, take advantage of known prevention techniques, and at all times stay hygienic. The coronavirus is dreadful, but it can be avoided.
Why the Coronavírus could be called the new Black Death.
Considering how the coronavirus and bubonic plague are similar in the threat they pose to humans, it can be concluded that they are somewhat related to each other. They correlate in so many ways that it makes me think that Corvid-19 is impacting us much like the Black Death impacted people years ago.
Why is this worse than normal influenza?
This is worse than normal influenza, or previous flu strains, because we don’t know how dangerous the new coronavirus is, and we won’t know until more data comes in. Seasonal flu does kill a lot of people, but it’s not as contagious as the coronavirus. The biggest difference is that unlike the ordinary flu there is no vaccine for the new coronavirus, which means it is more difficult for elderly people or those with existing respiratory or immune problems to protect themselves.
History repeats itself:
If there is a lesson from the past, it is that all virus outbreaks need to be handled with a heavier emphasis on prevention. We must prevent ourselves and others from getting the coronavirus. Schools and other public gathering spaces are being closed for a reason. They are shut down because people want to contain the spread of coronavirus. They don’t want people with low immunity to get it. That can include teachers, adults, and elderly individuals. We must be cautious and keep our eyes open.
The COVID-19 outbreak has sparked new interest in researching the Black Death. Even though today’s pathogens are not as fatal as that famous medieval pandemic, it is important to take safety precautions and stay safe, since they appear to be closely related.
Breaking News: According to a recent Washington Post analysis, it also appears that due to long existing socioeconomic factors, African Americans have a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus.
Sources used for important data and information:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/08/science/new-york-coronavirus-cases-europe-genomes.html
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/04/07/coronavirus-latest-news/
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=229027