Talking of pandemics, one of the worst to ever hit humanity was the Bubonic Plague, also known as the Black Death.
The first outbreak, also known as the Justinian Plague which was named after the Roman Emperor Justinian I occurred in the year 542 AD and killed about 50 million people!
The 2nd Bubonic Plague pandemic is the worst pandemic ever recorded in human history, hitting Europe in 1347, lasting for about 5 years and killed about 60% of Europe’s population! The plague cheapened life and spread so much panic it was associated with near barbarism, with corpses being used as biological weapons in warfare!, typical survival of the fittest scenario ensued. It started from Eastern Asia, later spreading through Italy to the rest of Europe, with China (Mongolia Empire) recording massive deaths and was noted to be the cradle of pandemic!
Many historians believe the pandemic was the turning point in Europe’s economic history…with 60% of the population dead, wages shot up, and workforce reduced significantly, there were jobs without workers, fields without harvesters…hence a push towards industrialization and mechanization.
The third pandemic also originated from Eastern Asia from the Gunman Province of China in 1880s killing some 80,000 people in the first few months and continuing well into the 1900s, killing scores in Chinatown San Francisco and port Cities linking with China.
The role of China as being the source of the spread of Bubonic fever since the 2nd Century AD and the 3rd pandemic forced President Chester Authur of the USA to sign into law the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 which banned all Chinese nationals from emigrating to the USA. It was the first time in history where a law was passed to ban all members of a particular country from visiting another. This law was to last for 10 years until the Plague was contained…by 1902 when the Plague was still active, the Chinese Exclusion Act was made permanent.
The bubonic plague is a bacterial infection caused by the bacterium Yersinia Pestis and spread by the flea and infected cattle. As late as 1994 there was an outbreak in India that led to massive migration!
Bubonic Plague still exists in rodents and other animals, East African countries still have cases of Bubonic Plague that is managed by the WHO with speed of lightning…without treatment death occurs in just about 10 days, with over 90% certainty of death.
Worse things have happened to humanity than COVID-19, so I encourage Ghanaians to remain calm, follow safety protocols, pray and do the right thing in our own corner and we will be fine. This too shall pass.
Source: James Mawuli Gawu, Health Support Foundation, Accra
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