World Pandemics: Black Death of the Late Middle Ages vs. Today's Covid-19.
In 2021, our world as we knew it fell apart with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing widespread panic and shutdowns in businesses, healthcare, and the economy around the world. What many people may have forgotten is that pandemics of this severity are not new to our world. The Black Death, also known as the Bubonic Plague, was the most devastating pandemic in history, claiming the lives of around 20 million people in Europe, which amounted to about 30% of its population at the time (History). The plague spread swiftly across European cities and into the countryside through the animals and livestock. During this time, there was little to no scientific knowledge on how to treat the plague. Most people were left to die without treatment, and the streets became filled with bodies. Many of the religious and medical practices that attempted to treat the disease often worsened the patient’s situation and even spread the disease further. The Black Death bacteria still exists today, mostly in third-world countries, but thanks to modern medicine and improved sanitation practices, it is no longer widespread and can be treated.
When we study the parallels between the Black Death and Covid-19, we can begin to identify several comparisons between the two.
1. Death Toll
When comparing the two pandemics, the first similarity we see between them is the significant death toll, that didn’t discriminate between social or economic status. In Boccaccio's Decameron, he describes the Black Death's devastating impact: "Many passed from this life unregarded," "in their houses were they sickened by thousands a day", and "many died daily or nightly in the public streets." So many people died so they couldn't conduct proper burials, leading to bodies accumulating in homes and on the streets. As mentioned earlier, historical estimates suggest that the Black Death claimed the lives of over 20 million people throughout Europe. Fast forward to 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic emerged. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there have been approximately 770,000 reported cases of COVID-19 with 7 million recorded deaths. Although these numbers are not nearly as high as the Black Death pandemic, it is still a shocking statistic, especially in the context of today's advanced technology and medical knowledge. Due to strict quarantine laws, many families were not able to have funeral ceremonies for their loved ones that they lost during this time.
2. Isolation and Masks
There are similarities in the way people isolated themselves and wore masks to protect themselves from the Black Death and COVID-19. In Boccaccio's Decameron, he wrote “They banded together, and dissociating themselves from all others, formed communities in houses where there were no sick, and lived a separate and secluded life, which they regulated with the utmost care.” Some people adhered strictly to isolation, while others chose to disregard all precautions and lived freely. This is similar to our modern quarantine experience. Where most people took isolation seriously and limited contact with only their immediate families, there were others who tried to continue with their normal lives. Boccaccio also mentioned that, during the Black Death, some people wore masks filled with flowers, herbs, or spices, “deeming it an excellent thing this to comfort the brain with such perfumes.” During COVID-19, we didn't fill our masks with herbs and spices, but we did trust them as protective barriers when venturing outside our homes to guard against the airborne transmission of the disease.
3. Economy
Both pandemics led to significant economic changes in their respective societies. The impact of COVID-19 is still being felt in the United States, as our nation continues to deal with the significant changes made to businesses, healthcare, education, and government. The abrupt need for businesses and organizations to shut down forced a rapid shift to remote work and learning from home, but it has unfortunately taken a toll on the economy. The Black Death changed the economy of the Middle Ages by effectively ending feudalism and resetting the social hierarchy. With so much of the population wiped out, especially the lower class, the value of labor soared, and servants began to be paid for their services (World History Encyclopedia).
4. Blame and Hatred
Sadly, the dark side of both pandemics was the blame and hatred that emerged. During the Black Plague, the Jewish community was blamed, leading to the unjust jailing and persecution of thousands. A historical source from the Middle Ages states "In 1348 there appeared in Europe a devastating plague which is reported to have killed off ultimately twenty-five million people. By the fall of that year, the rumor was current that these deaths were due to an international conspiracy of Jewry to poison Christendom." This theory, of course, was unfounded, as the Jews were also suffering from the plague. The consequences for the Jews were horrendous though. In Strasbourg, they arrested Jews throughout the towns and burnt 2,000 of them on a wooden platform on St. Valentine's Day. In the case of COVID-19, there was a surge of fear and distrust in the United States towards Asians because the virus was traced back to China. Some people thought that you were more likely to get COVID-19 if you came in contact with an Asian. This theory ignored the fact that many Asians in the United States are American born, were also falling ill, and were no more likely to spread it than any other person. The rise in Asian American hate and distrust was heartbreaking, resulting in people boycotting Asian-owned businesses and even instances of harassment and verbal abuse. It is an unfortunate fact that in times of uncertainty, people often resort to blame when faced with unexplainable events.
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