Victor Cohen

Pandemic History Victor Cohen

What do You know about Pandemics!? Facts and Fiction! Which is the Current Situation?! What will happen in the future?!Intermittent infectious disease outbreaks have had significant and enduring effects on populations throughout history. The cultural, political, and social facets of human society have been profoundly influenced by these events, with their consequences frequently lasting for centuries. Many of the fundamental concepts of modern medicine have been established by influenza outbreaks, forcing the medical community to develop concepts of epidemiology, prevention, immunization and antimicrobial treatment. The chapter describes some of the most important outbreaks that have occurred in human history and are applicable to understanding the rest of the material better. Starting with religious texts that relate heavily to plagues, this chapter sets out the basics for our understanding of the nature, financial, medical and psychological effects that such pandemics have had on humanity, including the Black Death (a plague epidemic of the fourteenth century), the Spanish Flu of 1918 and the more recent outbreaks of the twenty-first century, including COVID-19.