What We Learned From Smallpox, Measles, Cholera, and Other Health Crises
No two diseases are the same, but we may be able to draw upon what happened in prior outbreaks to illuminate the path forward
The novel coronavirus is just that — completely new. But disease is very old, indeed, and outbreaks, epidemics, and even pandemics have plagued humankind since the beginning of time. Could past pandemics help illuminate the path ahead? Here are some lessons worth considering.
Cholera: Geography matters
In 19th-century Europe, scientists and the public thought cholera was caused by “miasma,” or bad air. The highly contagious diarrheal infection is actually caused by Vibrio cholerae, a nasty bacterium that’s spread through feces. But in a time before the germ theory of disease had taken hold, it seemed like periodic outbreaks — even pandemics — were simply inevitable.
In 1854, the world was in the midst of the third of six cholera pandemics, and London was hit hard. A doctor named John Snow practiced in the city’s Soho district, which three out of four…
