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Abstract
We are witnessing the times of Great Awakening through the pandemic of COVID-19. We are learning what essential jobs really are. People and companies are working at home. Most importantly, we are learning more about human connections. We are missing being around each other and it is creating even greater appreciation for friends and families. Very few events in our history have shaped our societies, cultures and economics the way outbreaks of infectious diseases have. The West has experienced several epidemics throughout history, such as influenza, smallpox, cholera, and black plaque. As I write my essay, the world is living through Coronavirus. While researching the topic of Pandemic and Epidemics, I cannot help to notice that catastrophes turned our world around and there has been some good in them. This research study is essential since it informs more people about the changes recorded in the West due to various pandemics.
Introduction
The history of Europe reveals that human civilization and development is a process influenced by the events people have experienced in the past. Some of the epidemics and pandemics recorded in the West over the centuries have taught human beings how to think outside the box, promote new social practices, implement better political frameworks, and engage in actions that can have overall benefits to different populations. This discussion focuses on the period between 1492 and 2020 to understand how some of the unexpected disasters, pandemics, and epidemics in the West triggered unprecedented economic, social, and political changes.
Black Death
Historians and anthropologists acknowledge that the Black Death was one of the major pandemics that had far-reaching consequences on the lives and experiences of many people in Europe. This plague claimed the lives of over 70 million individuals in the West and some African countries (Armstrong 29). The pandemic led to numerous social and cultural revolutions that would transform the history of the continent forever. For example, analysts link the Black Death to the Protestant Reformation movement (Aleccia). Additionally, the process of worship changed significantly in Europe since the Pope at the time allowed both women and men to become bedside confessors.
The region experienced unprecedented labor shortages, thereby putting an end to various practices of slavery that existed during the time. Many workers began to bargain or negotiate with their employers for better wages and working conditions (Armstrong 41). The concept of sanitization gained a new meaning because of this pandemic. The processes of quarantine and isolation became the norm to minimize new infections. These revolutionary approaches would continue to help mankind during future pandemics and epidemics involving contagious diseases.
Smallpox
From the 14th century, many people from the Old World began to explore new regions across the globe, including the Americas. Such a process led to the establishment of the New World, thereby resulting in the exchange of a wide range of materials and household items. Unfortunately, most of these explorers introduced new diseases to Native Americans, including smallpox. Between the 15th and the 17th century, the West suffered a new smallpox outbreak that claimed the lives of over 20 million lives (Thèves et al. 3). This occurrence meant that the disease had wiped around 90 percent of the known American population.
The pandemic made it possible for individuals from Europe to colonize and settle in American territories. Consequently, such actions would alter the history of North America, the global economy, and the demographics of the West forever (Thèves et al. 4). Most of the settlers succeeded in acquiring new minerals that would support the growth and performance of local economies in Europe, such as gold and silver.
The Spanish Flu (H1N1)
The Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 became one of the deadliest events or health disasters that compelled governments and leaders to consider new ways of protecting lives. Menzel indicates that the outbreak infected over 500 million people in different parts of the world (12). Around 10 percent of these individuals died because of this influenza (Menzel 14). Epidemiologists observed that the H1N1 virus caused such an outbreak. During the same period, the world was going through one of the hardest conflicts in the name of the Great War. These complicated scenarios explain why the West was unable to implement evidence-based procedures and guidelines to deal with such a pandemic. Most of the existing hospitals and health systems became overwhelmed due to the absence of proper medical equipment, protective devices, and known treatment regimes. These factors worked synergistically to increase the risks and deaths associated with the pandemic.
Fortunately, the outbreak compelled researchers and policymakers to propose and support the implementation of new changes that would help the global community in the future. New policies emerged that supported the development of superior practices to handle pandemics and take the issue of preventative medicine more seriously than ever before. Governments across the globe began to modernize their healthcare systems by introducing additional ways to train medical professionals and preparing them for new disease outbreaks, such as COVID-19 ( COVID-19: Humanities Scholars Offer Insights for the Future by Looking at the History of Pandemics ). Improved practices emerged that would have permanent implications on the future of care delivery, such as patient care, isolation, diagnosis, and contact tracing (Menzel 18). Experts supported the invention of metallic beds forwards to make sanitation more effective. Designers and epidemiologists collaborated to design the classic medieval doctors mask that would eventually transform a wide range of medical procedures.
The lessons gained from this infamous flu pandemic forced the American government to introduce new policies intended to regulate urban housing. Some of the recognizable changes included the provision of separate bathrooms, wide hallways, and fire escapes. The concept of social distancing also gained a new meaning because of this outbreak. In the arts, painters, musicians, and poets captured most of the events and experiences through their masterpieces. New novels focusing on the challenges and experiences associated with this pandemic emerged, thereby transforming the manner in which future scholars and analysts captured their observations. These events are similar to the recorded during the yellow fever outbreak that was recorded in Philadelphia from 1793. Some of the prominent policy leaders during the period lived in the same city, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson. These leaders supported the implementation of new guidelines and policies that would support the countrys public health sector, such as tighter quarantine and sanitization procedures (Menzel 21). Consequently, the West realized that every government had a significant role to play during pandemics to protect the overall wellbeing and health of its people.
HIV/AIDS
Although the world recorded its first confirmed case of HIV/AIDS in 1981, this disease continues to infect and claim the lives of many people in different parts of the world. Kaur et al. indicate that the condition has claimed the lives of over 75 million people globally since the early 1980s (47). A similar number of deaths have been recorded due to some of the opportunistic illnesses associated with it. Experts believe that the absence of a known cure explains why more people continue to contract the disease unsuspectingly (Aleccia). Due to the dangers and challenges associated with HIV/AIDS, many countries in the West have succeeded in presenting new drugs that are capable of helping patients affected by this disease. Specifically, antiretroviral therapy (ART) remains significant since it improves patients immunities, thereby ensuring that they lead longer, better, and productive lives (Kaur et al. 48). These gains are attributable to some of the research studies and analyses that different experts have completed in the past.
Numerous developments have emerged in the West due to the nature and occurrence of this disease. For example, the manner in which people infect others with HIV has compelled researchers to provide superior guidelines to minimize its spread. Its effect on different communities has guided scholars and policymakers to present new guidelines that have the potential to empower and meet the demands of the affected individuals (Kaur et al. 51) Similarly, new rights and liberties for LGBTs have become recognizable because of the challenges associated with HIV/AIDS.
Conclusion
The above discussion has revealed that the history of the West is quite long and complex. Within the past seven centuries, the European continent has experienced numerous pandemics that have resulted in improved ways of handling challenges, promoting economic performance, transforming public health, and protecting lives. Some of the outstanding events described above include the Black Death, smallpox outbreak, Spanish Flu, HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19. These pandemics have taught human beings how to invent and consider evidence-based strategies to pursue appropriate economic, political, and social goals despite the recorded challenges.
Works Cited
Aleccia, JoNel. Bingeing on Doom: Expert on the Black Death Attracts Cult Following. KHN, 2020, Web.
Armstrong, Dorsey. The Black Death: The Worlds Most Devastating Plague. The Great Sources, 2016.
COVID-19: Humanities Scholars Offer Insights for the Future by Looking at the History of Pandemics. Purdue, 2020, Web.
Kaur, Kirandeep, et al. A Comparison of HIV/AIDS Health Policies in Selected Developed and Developing Countries. International Journal of Public Health and Clinical Sciences, vol. 3, no. 3, 2016, pp. 45-58.
Menzel, Celina. The Impact of Outbreaks of Infectious Diseases on Political Stability: Examining the Examples of Ebola, Tuberculosis and Influenza. Konrad Adenauer Foundation, 2017.
Thèves, Catherine, et al. History of Smallpox and Its Spread in Human Populations. Microbiology Spectrum, vol. 4, no. 4, 2016, pp. 1-10.
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