8 pandemics in the history of civilization that could destroy humanity, but people survived

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The statistics on the spread of the coronavirus are very alarming. The total number of cases in the world is rapidly approaching three million. But today's pandemic is far from the first in the history of mankind, in the past there have been epidemics that are much more terrible, and the level of development of medicine in the distant past was much lower. Therefore, the number of victims was truly frightening.

Antonin's plague (Galen's plague), 165-180 Kills about 5 million people

It is believed that the Antonine plague was brought to Rome by soldiers returning from the Middle East. Smallpox and measles were named among the possible causes of the disease, but it was not possible to establish this fact reliably. Also known as the Helen's plague, a terrible disease was defined by fever, pain and swelling in the throat, and indigestion. The pandemic of the Antonine plague broke out twice, lasted only about 15 years, destroyed about a third of the population and effectively devastated the Roman army.

Justinian's Plague, 541-750 Kills 25 to 50 million people

The pandemic of the Justinian plague, which broke out in about 541, destroyed at least half of the population of Europe, spreading back to the Mediterranean and the Byzantine Empire. Fever and headache, swollen lymph nodes, abdominal pain and gangrene accompanied this terrible disease. The pandemic reached incredible proportions in 544, claiming about 5 thousand lives daily in Constantinople alone, and on some days the death rate reached 10 thousand. After that, repeated epidemics arose in different countries for another two centuries.

Black Death (Black Pestilence), 1346-1353 Killed 75 to 200 million people

Covering Africa and Eurasia, the plague pandemic flared up again in the XIV century and was called "bubonic" because of one of the symptoms - abscesses and tumors (buboes) in infected people. The origin of the plague was in Asia, it spread throughout the world along with black rats and fleas. The disease was accompanied by fever and chills, pain and indigestion in all manifestations. The consequences of the pandemic were disastrous. The Black Death reduced the population of Europe by about 40%, whole settlements died out in China and India, and in Africa it was not possible to count even an approximate number of victims.

Cholera, seven pandemics from 1816 to 1966 killed more than 12 million people

The first pandemic began in Bengal and later spread throughout the world, causing many deaths. The exact number of victims is unknown, but according to the most conservative estimates, it exceeds 12 million people at all time. The body of a sick person loses fluid very quickly, which as a result leads to dehydration and death. Isolated outbreaks of cholera and isolated cases of the disease are still being recorded.

Third plague pandemic since 1896 Kills more than 12 million people

In the 19th century, the plague returned again. The first cases of it were recorded in 1855 in Yunnan province, but by the end of the century the plague was spreading at an incredible speed throughout the world, and its echoes were observed until the middle of the 20th century, when about 200 cases of the disease were recorded per year in the world. In China and India alone, the death toll has exceeded 12 million. During this pandemic, two types of disease spread at once. The carriers of the bubonic plague were originally rats and fleas transported by merchant ships, and the lung strain was transmitted from person to person and was widespread in Asia, especially in Mongolia and Manchuria.

Spanish flu, 1918-1920 Kills 17 to 50 million people

The Spanish flu pandemic affected about 500 million people, but scientists say that not all deaths from this disease have been recorded, and the true number of victims may actually reach 100 million. The alleged sources of occurrence could be in China or the United States, as well as in the main military camp and hospital camp of the British troops in France. The flu got its name due to the fact that it was Spain, which did not participate in the First World War, that did not hide the extent of the spread of the disease, and the warring countries kept silent about them, trying to prevent panic, especially among the soldiers. The main symptoms of the Spanish flu were a bluish complexion, pneumonia, and coughing up blood. Moreover, the disease was often asymptomatic. The list of victims of the Spanish flu included many famous personalities, including the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the pioneer of the American car industry John Francis Dodge, the actress Vera Kholodnaya, the artists Gustav Klimt and Niko Pirosmani. King of Spain Alfonso XIII, Walt Disney, Franz Kafka, Franklin Roosevelt and many other people have had the Spanish flu.

Asian Flu, 1957-1958 Kills 1 to 2 million people

After the Spanish flu, the Asian flu outbreak was the second worst pandemic of the 20th century. The disease, according to scientists, originates in China. Asian flu spread from person to person, and as a preventive measure at that time it was recommended to gargle with hydrogen peroxide and take medications that included formalin.

HIV infection, since 1980 Has killed more than 36 million people

The human immunodeficiency virus was first identified in the Congo and then rapidly spread throughout the world. The top ten countries with the highest number of cases include India, South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mozambique, Kenya, Zimbabwe, the United States, Russia and China, and the total number of people infected with the virus is about 60 million. The pandemic reached its peak in 1997, when 3.3 million people became infected with HIV in a year, and by 2005 this figure had dropped to 2.3 million people a year. The World Health Organization has changed its definition of HIV from a global pandemic to a global epidemic.

At various times, pandemics and epidemics shook the whole world. Smallpox, tuberculosis, malaria, leprosy and several types of typhus have claimed the lives of hundreds of millions of people. The development of medicine and the observance of sanitary and hygienic standards made it possible to suppress most of them.

Today's COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has spread rapidly across the planet, causing many businesses to shut down. Many countries are trying to prevent the growth of the disease by taking measures to limit contact between people. I sincerely want to believe that modern medicine will soon find a cure for COVID-19, and life will quickly return to its normal course.

The coronavirus has taken over the whole world and, it seems, is not going to stop there. He is merciless to everyone, and he does not care what regalia, statuses and money a person has. AND there are many famous people among his victims.