The previous pestilence and mitigation

[Polishprince]

The current situation is not the first Pandemic the world has ever seen. In the late 1340's and early 1350's, the black death was very popular. But not everywhere.

In my own hometown of Krakow, we were virtually exempt from it. Ditto, BTW, if the Italians over in Milan.

The key is that we Poles traditionally wash our hands after using the can.

We are getting the same kind of map in the current situation. A lot of deaths in places like New York City where the people don't think cleanliness is important and in the red areas where there virtually no death because we do the right thing.

The Black Death’s utter destruction of 14th-century Europe, in one scary GIF

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[MaryL]

I can look back the Spanish influenza of 1918. The covid 19 thing wasn't like that and its being proven, 1918 was a under reaction and 2019 was a OVER reaction. Covid 19 was basically a more virulent version of the common flu. 80% or more of us will survive after being infected. So, let's ruin the world economy over it?

 

[Mushroom]

In my own hometown of Krakow, we were virtually exempt from it. Ditto, BTW, if the Italians over in Milan.

The key is that we Poles traditionally wash our hands after using the can.

Of course, there is also the facts that at the time, Poland was sparsely populated and remote to most of Europe, with no major trade with the rest of Europe.

Oh, and also the fact that King Casimir the Great also sealed the borders and refused to allow any commerce into the country. Not even Polish merchants who were out of the country at the time of that closure were allowed back in. Poland did in fact loose about 25% of their population to the Black Death, but that is small compared to the rest of Europe.

Milan took similar measures, and suffered about 15% death. It did not have a damned thing to do with washing hands.