Pandemic Facts That Have Historically Affected Humankind

The COVID-19 pandemic is not the first of its kind. Throughout history, various viral diseases have caused widespread panic and loss of life.

1918-1919 Spanish Flu

• Caused by: H1N1 influenza A virus
• First detected in: March 1918, Kansas, United States
• Global impact: About 500 million people were infected worldwide, with 100 million possibly succumbing

H1N1 Pandemic (2009-2010)

• Formerly known as: Swine flu
• Similarities to Spanish Flu (1918-1919): The same type of virus caused the pandemic, leading to widespread fear and lockdowns
• Countries affected: Mexico and the United States were initially hard hit, followed by a global spread

Black Death Pandemic (1346-1353)

• Deadliest pandemic in history: More than 50 million people succumbed to the Bubonic plague
• Worst-hit region: Europe, with England and France calling truces to their wars due to the severity of the outbreak
• Symptoms: Black tissue in lymph nodes due to gangrene, which explains the pandemic’s name “Black Death”

1918 Spanish Flu

• Notable survivors: Walt Disney, Mary Pickford, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Haile Selassie I, and Edward Munch
• No reported deaths in American Samoa: The Governor of American Samoa, John Martin Poyer, ordered quarantine due to the massive and deadly nature of the disease

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 1 (SARS-CoV-1)

• Pandemic that hit the world between 2002 and 2004: Caused by the SARS-CoV-1 virus, resulting in about 9% patient mortality
• Heroic efforts of an Italian microbiologist: Carlo Urbani was the first to discover SARS-CoV-1 in Vietnam and reported it to the World Health Organization, but tragically succumbed to the disease as well

Black Death Pandemic and Jewish Communities

• Very few deaths related to the disease among Jewish communities: Experts attribute this to the impeccable hygienic practices observed by Jews
• Christian communities interpreted differently: They believed the pandemic was a result of a Jewish conspiracy, leading to anti-Semitic violence in Europe

Encephalitis Lethargica Pandemic (1915-1926)

• Known as: Encephalitis lethargica
• Directly caused the death of more than 500,000 people worldwide: Attacked the brain and left patients in a statue-like condition
• Causes: The causative agent has never been discovered

Bubonic Plague Pandemic (14th Century)

• Identified as: Y. pestis, the bacterium causing the disease
• Pandemic recurred for 30 consecutive years: Bubonic plague killed over 15 million people