We are almost the second year into this pandemic and going on THIRD! Who would have thought? All the woes and hopes of the average citizen, all the dreams of finally having a COVID-free 2021 were crushed not long after we stepped into the new year but to add insult to the injury -- this year is ENDING -- but you know what isn't, COVID-FRICKIN-19! All this spectacle had me thinking - is COVID'19 truly only a modern pandemic?
Most Fatal Pandemic in History | 14th Century
Now to add more perspective to this rather elusive statement -- we all know of countless pandemics that have ridden this world in the past -- take, for example, the bubonic plague (in other words, the black plague). This plague primarily originated in Europe, central/east Asia (also called Eurasia), and some of North Africa during the 14th century. It hit the hardest in Europe and wiped out MORE than half of its population. The plague was caused by a very deadly bacteria called Yersinia pestis and was characterized by symptoms such as fever, headache, vomiting, and swollen lymph nodes. This plague alone killed around 75-200 Million people in Eurasia and North African regions, taking 60% of the European population under its fatal claws in just 8 years. In Addition to this, it "single-handedly" reduced the world population from 475 Million to 350-375 Million.
