A Brief History of Pandemics

Although we´re all currently facing the biggest health crisis in the past decades, it is rather soothing to know that, despite all the hardships and complications humanity has faced over thousands and thousands of years of civilization, we´ve always managed to survive as a species. So, to bring a little insight into the past struggles that average people had to face, as well as to give a bit of an energy boost to our uncertain reality, here´s a countdown of the 4 worst pandemics in human history in no particular order.

1) Smallpox

A serious infectious disease caused by the two virus variants; the Variola virus and the Variola major. It is believed that smallpox is the disease that has caused the biggest number of deaths for most of human history, having arisen in North-East Africa about 10 thousand years ago. It´s earliest record dates back to Ancient Egypt, about 3 thousand years ago.

2) The Bubonic Plague/ The Black Death

This particular disease, originated in the Tian Shan Mountain rages along the North-Western border of China, has gone down in history as one of the most infamous pandemics to ever hit human civilization. At its peak during the Middle Ages (between 1346 and 1353 to be precise), it caused the death of around 1/3 of Europe´s population, targeting people from all ages and social classes with an 80% mortality rate. It is estimated today that the Black Death took the lives of around 100 million people.

3) Third Colera Pandemic

During its peak between the 1840s and 1860s, this bacterial disease, despite starting in India, quickly spread worldwide claiming the lives of millions of people. Leading to deadly dehydration if untreated, this infection particularly struck the lower classes due to it being carried and spread via contaminated water. We can at least thank this disease for providing us with functioning, safe sewage systems throughout most of the countries.

4) The Spanish Flu

Also referred to as the Influenza Virus, this intense cold massively emerged during the end of the First World War. Although its origins are traced to either China, the US or France, it is commonly called the “Spanish Flu” due to the massive coverage it got in Spain, while most other countries largely ignored it because of the war, thereby making it seem that Spain was the most contaminated nation with the virus.

By Silvana Sepúlveda, 10B