TOPIC PROPOSAL BY ERICA D.

ESGUERRA

TOPIC: Comparative Analysis on Covid-19 and Bubonic Plague

1. Frame of Reference

The situations that the world is facing right now are significant for humans, but the main
circumstance is the spread of a deadly virus that has affected the lives of many, this virus has a
great similarity with the ‘black death’ in the 14th Century known as the Bubonic Plague.

The word virus came from the Latin word vīrus referring to poison which has a meaning of
“agent that causes infectious disease.” Similarly, the world is now fighting against a pandemic which
is widely known as Covid-19 which has infected almost 21 million incidents as of August 18, 2021. In
line with this, in the 14th Century, the Bubonic Plague was discovered as a “zoonotic virus” for wild
and domestic animals which can also infect humans. As humans aim to survive any virus, one is
asked if what will be the best solution.

2. Grounds for Comparison

There is an evident difference between Covid-19 and Bubonic Plague. When one becomes
infected with any of the said viruses, the person will certainly look for cure on how to survive and
avoid being dead. In the Philippines, there are roughly 946,000 recorded cases of Covid-19 as of
April 2021. On the other hand, the Bubonic Plague has caused an estimated 50 million mortalities
that was known as the “Black Death” through Asia, Europe, and Africa in the 14 th Century. The
Bubonic Plague and Covid-19 even have similar symptoms like fever and cough.

3. Thesis

Whereas the Bubonic Plague was swept away in various ways like implementation of
quarantines wherein the uninfected would remain their homes and were only allowed to leave for
necessities; they also promoted improved personal hygiene and the practice of cremations rather
than burials. With this, the Covid-19 precautions also include the same ways with the use of face
masks, face shields and personal protective equipment. Many countries also include curfew hours,
or times when no one is allowed to go outside. Peter Collignon, an infectious disease physician and
professor at the Australian National University Medical School, said that “Taiwan is the only major
country that has so far been able to keep community transmission of Covid eliminated.”

4. Organizational Scheme
 The bubonic plague and coronavirus have similarities and differences included in this
organizational scheme. From their origin, preventive measures, and mortality rate. Researches
and studies have found out many significant points to consider in the pandemic that the world is
facing right now. These similarities will be explained with the following below:

A. The Origin of Covid-19 and Bubonic Plague

• The Bubonic Plague started with wild and local animals which also affected
individuals with close-contact from the infected animals. This brought the ‘Black
Death’ known in Europe during the 14th Century. The covid-19 is defined as an illness
caused by a novel coronavirus called severe acute respiratory syndrome which was
first identified amid an outbreak of respiratory illness in Wuhan City, Hubei Province,
China that was initially reported on December 31, 2019.

• The bubonic plague Having originated in China and Inner Asia, the Black Death
decimated the army of the Kipchak khan Janibeg while he was besieging
the Genoese trading port of Kaffa (now Feodosiya) in Crimea (1347). With his forces
disintegrating, Janibeg catapulted plague-infested corpses into the town in an effort to
infect his enemies. While experts say SARS-CoV-2 originated in bats. That’s also how
the coronaviruses behind Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute
respiratory syndrome (SARS) got started. SARS-CoV-2 made the jump to humans at
one of Wuhan’s open-air “wet markets.” They’re where customers buy fresh meat and
fish, including animals that are killed on the spot.

B. Preventive Measures for Covid-19 and Bubonic Plague

• The government of the Philippines has given policies to lessen the spread of
coronavirus. The policies include curfew hours, community quarantines, widely use of
face masks and face shields, online schooling, and take-out only policy for fast-food
chains and restaurants. During the spread of bubonic plague, countries also
proclaimed quarantines, improvement of personal hygiene and practice of cremation
with deaths.

C. Mortality Cases for Covid-19 and Bubonic Plague

• As of April 2021, the Philippines has reported 16, 048 deaths for Covid-19, 788,000
recovered and 946,000 cases. While the bubonic plague killed an estimated 25
 million people, almost a third of the continent’s population. Outbreaks included the
Great Plague of London (1655-66), in which 70,000 residents died.
• The rate of mortality from the Black Death varied from place to place: whereas some
districts, such as the duchy of Milan, Flanders, and Béarn, seem to have escaped
comparatively lightly, others, such as Tuscany, Aragon, Catalonia, and Languedoc,
were very hard-hit. Towns, where the danger of contagion was greater, were more
affected than the countryside, and within the towns the
monastic communities provided the highest incidence of victims.

4. Conclusion

With the spread of any virus that can kill lives, everyone must be aware that not all sickness
can be cured with a mindset that is not helpful and uncultured discipline. With the evidences of
Covid-19 and Bubonic Plague having more similarities, humans must be well-informed and
disciplined enough to follow the protocols so as to avoid the spread of any virus relevant as of
the moment. As Andy Mukherjee of Bloomberg News said, “it is impossible to predict if the virus
will inject a welcome impatience into spending out of pay checks that are augmented by state
support, or whether the global economy will get mired in deeper stagnation”, adding: “A disease
that’s especially harsh on older people could alter global demographics, with as-yet-
unpredictable consequences for pension savings and asset demand.”

Bubonic plague wiped out 30-50% of Europe’s population in the 14th Century. Today, it’s
much less common. In recent decades, an average of seven cases of human plague, which is
caused by the bacteria Yersinia pestis, have been recorded each year in the US, the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports. Globally, between 1,000 and 2,000 cases are
identified each year—although the true number is likely much higher.

By comparison, there are more than 21 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 around the world
as of August 18, according to data from Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. Of those,
about 4.5 million cases have been confirmed in the US and more than 171,000 Americans have
died of the virus to date.
5. References

• The Week Staff. What was the Black Death and When did it End? 2020. Retrieval date.
April 20, 2021. https://www.theweek.co.uk/76088/what-was-black-death-and-how-did-it-
end
• Cennimo. How did the coronavirus outbreak start? 2019. Retrieval Date. April 20, 2021.
https://www.medscape.com/answers/2500114-197402/how-did-the-coronavirus-
outbreak-start
• Howard. Plague was one of history’s deadliest diseases-then we found a cure. 2020.
Retrieval Date. April 20, 2020. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/the-
plague#:~:text=The%20plague%20killed%20an%20estimated,in%20which%2070%2C0
00%20residents%20died.
• The Editors of Encyclopedia Brittanica. Black Death. 1998. Retrieval Date. April 20,
2021. https://www.britannica.com/event/Black-Death/additional-info#history
• Gillespie. Coronavirus vs. Black Plague: What Do These Infectious Disease Have in
Common? 2020. Retrieval Date. April 20, 2021.