COVID-19 VS Bubonic Plague

Covid-19 and the Bubonic Plague have similarities, yet many differences. For example, both Covid-19 and the Bubonic Plague came from animals. The Bubonic Plague arose from infected fleas that latched itself onto rats and once the rats died, these fleas jumped onto humans. The Black Death was usually transmitted to humans by fleas although there were cases of the bacteria being transferred from human to human by cough. Similarly, Covid-19 is suspected to come from an animal host and is also transmitted through human interaction by respiratory droplets. Coincidentally, Covid-19 and the plague both have symptoms such as cough, fatigue, and fever. In addition, both Covid-19 and the Bubonic Plague are declared as pandemics and have been affecting a variety of countries around the world.

However, the Black Death and Covid-19 are different in many ways. For instance, the Bubonic Plague had a death toll of 20 million people in Europe alone. Once people would contract the Yersinia Pestis bacteria, it was fatal and they would experience bleeding, abdominal pain, tissue death, or death in a few hours. Compared to the Bubonic Plague, Covid-19 is less life-threatening. During the time of the Black Death, there was a lack of knowledge regarding medicine, understanding where disease came from, and how to develop consistent cures. Disease was known to come from supernatural or astrological causes. For example, Philip VI of France suspected that disease came from the conjunction of Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. Furthermore, people believed that mountain dwellers didn't experience the plague because they were living in pure air compared to those who lived in cities or central hubs where the air was considered corrupted from corpses and those who were ill.

As a result of the Black Death, there was social change and long term outcomes like the advancement of public health, prevention, quarantine, good hygiene, diet, and hospitals. On the other hand, our responses to Covid-19 differ from the time of the Black Death because of our medical advancement and knowledge of disease. Disease is no longer a supernatural or astrological concept, but rather a natural occurrence in the world. We are dealing with Covid-19 by enforcing preventative measures like quarantine, staying 6-feet apart from others, wearing masks, and washing our hands consistently. Similar to the Black Death, there will be future advancements in areas like public health, research, and sanitation.

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