1720, 1820, 1920 and now 2020 - Why pandemics have threatened humanity every 100 years

We all know what is happening in the world in these present days, how the Coronavirus has taken the whole world under its control, we are fully aware of it. But this is not happening for the first time because it has happened many times before and the whole world had to face such dangerous situations many times in the past. If you look into the history of the entire world, then you will know how many times the world has faced such worst situations. To date, many such worst epidemics and pandemics have arisen in the world, which led to the death of many people but today we will talk about the last four deadly diseases, which have threatened humanity after every 100 years. Call it a coincidence or something else but after every 100 years, a big epidemic strikes the world and humans have to find new pandemic medicines every time and this has been happening for the last 400 years. From 1720 to 2020, four disease outbreaks have devastated humanity, such as the plague in 1720, the cholera outbreak in 1820, the Spanish Flu in 1920, and now the coronavirus in 2020.

What is Herd immunity and how will it help in fighting against Coronavirus

Great Plague of Marseille

In 1720 the deadly pandemic of bubonic plague was spread, known as the Great Plague of Marseille. It was the last of the significant European outbreaks of bubonic plague. This fatal disease started in Marseille and was responsible for killing a total of 100,000 people in Marseille and surrounding areas. As soon as the plague spread, 50 thousand people died in a few months and the remaining 50 thousand died in the next two years. Historical records say that a ship called Grand-Saint-Antoine is responsible for bringing the plague to Marseille. The ship was carrying a cargo of goods from the eastern Mediterranean. A Turkish passenger was the first to be infected and soon died, followed by several crew members and the ship's surgeon. But when the ship arrived at Marseille it was quarantined, but the plague was still able to get into the city, likely through fleas on plague-infected rodents. After that, the plague spread quickly in the city, and over the next three years, it took the lives of thousands of people.

The Black Death - One of the Most Devastating Pandemics in Human History

Cholera pandemic

After 100 years of the Great Plague of Marseille, in 1820, the first cholera pandemic took place somewhere in Asia and took the form of a pandemic very quickly. The epidemic spread to Japan, the Persian Gulf, India, Bangkok, Manila, Java, Oman, China, Mauritius, Syria, etc. Hundreds of thousands of people died as a result of this pandemic, affecting almost every country in Asia and killing 100,000 people on the island of Java alone. The most deaths took place in Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The disease was so devastating that it killed victims within 8 hours of developing symptoms and their death rate was so high that locals struggled to bury all the dead. The main cause of infection was the consumption of water from lakes infested with this killer bacterium. The pandemic died 6 years after its onset, thanks to a severe winter in 1823 -1824, which may have killed the bacteria living in water supplies.

Miyakejima - An Island where residents always have to wear gas masks to stay alive

Spanish flu

Again 100 years later, in 1920, the Spanish flu spread, also known as the 1918 flu pandemic. Although this spread was from 1918, but the most impact was seen in 1920. The Spanish flu was the first of two pandemics caused by the H1N1 influenza virus; the second was the swine flu in 2009. It holds the official record for the deadliest pandemic officially recorded in human history. An estimated 500 million people were victims of the Spanish Flu and death toll ranged between 17 million to 50 million. The effect of this flu was highest in America, Europe, Brazil and also in India. The disease killed in every area of the globe. Despite the name Spanish Flu, the disease likely did not start in Spain. At the time when this disease had spread, World War 1 was going through its last phase and the countries which were involved in this war stopped the broadcasting of their news. But Spain was not involved in this war, that's why Spain told the world about this disease through its news broadcasting and due to the spread of this news through Spain, this disease was named Spanish Flu.

Bracken Cave - The world's largest colony of bats, now likely to cause damage to humanity

Coronavirus pandemic

Now after crossing 100 years mark again, a new epidemic has emerged in the world, named coronavirus disease 2019 or COVID-19, which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It was recognized as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11 March 2020, which is still going on without any definite cure. Actually, still, there is no cure for this coronavirus, and treatments are being done based on the kind of care given for influenza (seasonal flu) and other severe respiratory illnesses. There is no vaccine for the coronavirus yet but Scientists from around the world are working on it. The virus is mainly spread during close contact and via respiratory droplets produced when people cough or sneeze. People may also catch COVID-19 by touching a contaminated surface and then their faces. The coronavirus first appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and after spreading rapidly in China it has overtaken the entire world under its grip. Thousands of people have already died around the world, especially in Italy and the situation is getting worse day by day. The best way to prevent this disease is to keep physical distance or social distance that can slow down the spread of disease by minimizing close contact between individuals until a permanent cure is found.