Black Death — Change and Continuity

By using the concept of change and continuity, we can draw comparisons between two different moments in time. These two events being the Black Death from the 14th century and COVID-19, which has greatly impacted the world in the last year. Is COVID-19 an example of history repeating? I think it is reasonable enough to compare the two, however, the differences greatly outweigh the similarities. Because of this, I would say that history is not repeating. Obviously, we must take into account the vast differences in time. For example, disease was a somewhat normal thing in the Medieval Ages simply because there was lack of technology, sanitation, and knowledge to combat such an outbreak. Looking at COVID-19, we took precautions right away, set mandatory limitations, and even came out with a cure within a year. Had we not acted early enough, it could have been much worse, perhaps on-par with the Black Death.

What similarities do you note in these two pandemics, and what differences do you note? Why are these important? The biggest similarity is just the idea of a widespread outbreak. While reading through the course material, it was said that the Black Death wiped out roughly half of Europe’s population. This also means that pretty much everyone was affected by the disease in some way, whether it be a family member who had passed, or a friend. Today we can relate to that same thing. It has made headlines on the news pretty much everyday, it has greatly impacted our daily lives, and most of us know someone who has been infected or even passed because of the virus. Some sources suggest that self-quarantining was a thing during both epidemics. But for the differences, well, there is a lot. First off, the Black Death was bacterial and could be transmitted through rats, fleas, and those infected. COVID-19 is a virus that appears to be transmitted from person-to-person. The most notable difference was the death count. The Black death causing an estimated 25 million deaths, apposed to a nearly 3 million from COVID-19. Statistically, that is about 8:1. That doesn’t even take into account the massive difference in population between then and now. Agnalo di Tura, who lived during the Plague, writes, “buried my five children with my own hands. And there were also those who were so sparsely covered with earth that the dogs dragged them forth and devoured many bodies throughout the city. There was no one who wept for any death, for all awaited death.” It was literally a living nightmare. I could not imagine living in a time where death was imminent, or that dogs were eating someone who I once knew. So why are these similarities and differences important? Well, it helps us understand what works and what doesn’t work. It helps us come up with new ways to deal with this kind of situation. Instead of just waiting for God to save us (like those from the Medieval Ages), we can take measures to prevent such from happening, or at least make it less destructive. By analyzing change and continuity, we can learn and prepare for the future.