The great pandemics - humanity's vulnerability to infectious diseases

Freedom was wider before the COVID-19 pandemic, and now we hardly remember that until the year 2020 we lived completely differently. Moreover, epidemics had a profound impact on the history of humanity, shaping the course of civilizations and influencing social, economic and political dynamics.

Throughout the centuries, humanity has faced various pandemics that have profoundly influenced society, bringing major changes and causing great suffering. One thing is certain, humanity is exposed to infectious diseases (contagious diseases, caused by infectious, transmissible agents, which can be microbes, viruses, mono- or multicellular parasites or protein fractions, peptides, which affect humans, animals, plants, insects , even bacteria. In the case of humans, they enter the body through certain "gates of entry", being transmitted directly, from person to person, or through vectors).

The two great pandemics that hit the world before the 21st century are brought up again, but now the pandemic that started in 2020 is also mentioned.

This summer there was intense talk about a new increase in the number of people infected with COVID-19. The news on this topic caused quite a lot of emotion, because the events of the last four years left deep traces in the collective psyche.

• The Black Plague: A global catastrophe

One of the most devastating epidemics in human history was the Black Death, which struck Europe beginning in 1348. It was the most devastating plague ever recorded, killing an estimated 75 million people globally, of which 25 millions in Europe alone. This meant almost half of the population of the European continent at that time. The plague (plague) is a disease produced by the bacterium Yersinia pestis and is transmitted from rats to humans, through the bites of fleas that feed on the blood of both species, through direct contact or, exceptionally, through inhalation. Plague is a serious zoonotic infectious disease also known as the "black death". The rapid spread of the plague was facilitated by booming trade networks, with the disease spreading from Asia, through Mongolia and northern China, to Europe. In our space, the plague left deep traces, affecting the population along several epidemic waves. The chronicler Grigore Ureche mentions the plague of 1522, which caused "great murder", and the one of 1578, during the reign of Petru Şchiopu, was also devastating. History records that, between 1349 and 1526, there were no less than 25 outbreaks of the plague in our region, each episode bringing significant loss of human life. According to Historia, another tragic episode in our history is the "Plague of Caragea" (1812-1814), which affected Wallachia. Estimates show that over 90,000 people died, of which 40,000 in Bucharest alone. This epidemic emphasized the vulnerability of communities to infectious diseases and the lack of effective means of prevention and treatment of these diseases.

In addition to the plague, in the medieval period, other infectious diseases had a significant impact on the population, including cholera and leprosy. Cholera, a bacterial disease transmitted through contaminated water, has continued to take its toll in modern times, especially in countries in Asia and South Africa. Leprosy, a chronic infectious disease, has also affected the population over the centuries, and in Romania there are still isolated cases, such as the case of the patients from Tichilesti, Tulcea county.

Read here - Two doctors premeditatedly killed a patient from the ATI ward of Saint Pantelimon Hospital

In global history, epidemics have often played a decisive role in conquests and cultural changes. Especially in the context of the colonization of the New World by Europeans, diseases brought from Europe, such as smallpox, had a devastating impact on the indigenous populations. Estimates suggest that disease, combined with military and colonial actions, reduced the indigenous population by 70% to 90% in the 16th century. Although there are theories suggesting that epidemics were deliberately used as biological weapons, history does not confirm this hypothesis decisively. In reality, diseases often spread unchecked, and the devastating effects were largely the consequence of the indigenous populations' lack of immunity to European diseases.

• Spanish Flu: A scourge of the 20th century

Another devastating pandemic that left deep traces in the 20th century was the Spanish Flu of 1918-1919. This was an influenza pandemic caused by an H1N1 virus that spread rapidly around the globe at the end of the First World War. With an estimated number of 50-100 million victims, the Spanish flu affected almost a third of the world's population, according to unibuc.ro, making it one of the deadliest pandemics in history. The Spanish flu was particularly lethal among young adults, an age group that is not usually severely affected by seasonal flu. The effects of the pandemic were amplified by the poor hygiene and public health conditions that existed after the war, as well as by the massive mobilization of the population during the conflict, which facilitated the rapid spread of the virus. The impact of the Spanish flu was also felt in Romania, where the authorities had to implement strict measures to limit the spread of the disease. The hospitals were overwhelmed by the large number of patients, and the lack of medical resources aggravated the situation.

Read here - Criminal files on deaths from ATI, blocked by lack of medical experts

• Pandemics and Social and Cultural Changes

The current COVID-19 pandemic, which has engulfed almost the entire world, has brought to the fore the global vulnerability to infectious diseases and highlighted the importance of public health measures. Although often compared to the great epidemics of the past, this pandemic is distinguished by the extent of its global spread and by the complex economic and social impact it had. The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, began in 2019 in Asia. The new virus was first identified following an outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Attempts to contain it there failed, allowing the virus to spread to other areas of China and later around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March 2020. By 2023, there were 680 million officially recorded cases and 6.8 million confirmed deaths .

It is clear that epidemics have played a central role in human history, changing the course of events and reshaping societies. From the Black Plague that ravaged medieval Europe, to the Spanish Flu that affected the 20th century, and more recent epidemics like COVID-19, these events remind us of our vulnerability to infectious diseases and the importance of public health measures. At the same time, they caused profound cultural and social changes, influencing the destiny of civilizations and leaving deep traces in human history.