Plagues Have Always Been With Us

Plagues have been with us since the beginning of life on Earth. Archaeologists have uncovered a devastating plague from 5,000 years ago. Hopefully, a vaccine will be ready within the next year to end the pandemic. All historic plagues eventually do, but some have been unbelievably devastating. 

HIV/AIDS continues as a threat and has killed 25 to 35 million people. The Spanish Flu of 1918-19 killed 40 to 50 million. The Plague of Justinian in 541-542 AD killed 30 to 50 million and hastened the fall of the Roman Empire. Smallpox killed 56 million in 1520. Black Death was the giant of plagues in the mid-1300s. Bubonic Plague wiped out 200 million people and 30% to 50% of Europe. It took 200 years to recover the population lost. If they had known that it was fleas on rats that brought the plague, they might have prevented much of the catastrophe. 

Covid-19 evolved from the SARS-COV2 virus (Any claim that Covid-19 was manufactured in a lab is total nonsense. Microbiologists cannot outdo nature in evolving the structure of the virus at its current ability to infect humans). There are strange diseases in the animal world. In 1968, I picked up a lung infection in the jungles of SE Asia. I was quite sick and coughing blood, followed by hallucinations and being unconscious for three days. No doctor was able to identify the infection, but fortunately, I recovered. Some of the symptoms were not unlike SARS/Covid. I'm convinced that when the balance of nature becomes severely out of balance and civilizations mistreat their environments, nature fights back through evolving organisms.

When I watch news reports, it's almost like they are treating it like a contest. Who is number 1 in cases? America is number 1 in the world.  They count the daily totals as though they are counting telethon donations. But, unlike the Black Death, we know what can stop this virus. We know that masks, disinfectant, and staying home can prevent deaths and prevent the spread. The science wasn't sophisticated enough in the Middle Ages to understand how disease spread. What is lacking in sophistication now is common sense. When future generations look back on us, will they shake their heads and say, "They just weren't smart enough to stop the epidemic"?