What can we learn from our history of human behaviour and dealing with disease?
Physical distancing is not unique to the 21st century. In 1665, distancing shaped the spread of the Plague in England: riddled with disease, villagers of Eyam created a boundary and selflessly isolated themselves. They pledged not to cross the boundary; neither trade nor loved ones could persuade them. Knowing their sacrifice, outsiders respected Eyam’s efforts and a 17th century version of “curbside delivery” emerged. While the outbreak took its toll, the strategy represented an attempt to limit the spread of the plague and protect the well-being of others.
The response to COVID-19 is not unlike past outbreaks, and examining history can help us understand the dynamics of human behaviour in the face of adversity. Historically, people have experienced anxiety, confusion, misdirected blame, economic hardships, sickness and death during outbreaks; yet, no disease ever existed in a vacuum: it is influenced by culture.
Almost 400 years before Eyam’s “lockdown,” another plague ran rampant in Asia before reaching Europe in 1347. Some claimed that poisoned-air (miasma) was responsible; yet, an outbreak in Asia was a distant worry for those on another continent.
In the early days of 2020, despite what we know about emerging viruses and their ability to migrate quickly, officials downplayed the significance of COVID-19. Dr. Theresa Tam told us that there wasn’t “any reason for us to panic or be overly concerned.” Microbiologist Dr. Allison Mcgeer told us that “we shouldn’t worry about it at the distance we are from Wuhan.” But then, the first Canadian case appeared in our own backyard days later, and weeks later, lockdowns and restrictions followed.
Disease travels quickly, which was true even in 1347. The plague reached the shores of Italy and killed 40 million people in five years as it spread. To combat the disease, European cities hired “Plague Doctors.” These public servants, who knew little to nothing about medicine, incited panic and counted the dead. They peddled arsenic and mercury as cleansing cures, and if the plague did not kill their patients, the poison certainly did.
In the early days of COVID-19, Donald Trump peddled the idea that disinfectants might cleanse people’s lungs. When experts responded swiftly with criticism, the public servant claimed sarcasm. For some, however, it was too late: people panicked to fight the virus and fears, and consumed poison. Following the disinfectant debacle, calls to poison centres soared, and scapegoats emerged. The World Health Organization has warned when naming disease, caution should be taken. Stigma must be avoided. Even so, minutes before a press briefing, Trump quickly edited his notes and scribbled out “corona” and replaced it with “Chinese”: an obvious cultural attack and the poisonous rhetoric continued to flow.
While history does not repeat itself, it does look remarkably familiar from time-to-time. From SARS to syphilis and the Black Death, disease has been placed on the backs of minorities. In the 14th century, it was Judaic Europeans who were charged with causing the plague. Under torture, Jewish captives “confessed”; social unrest and mass murders followed. In addition to the blame-game, some plague-theorists claimed an alignment between Saturn, Jupiter and Mars caused the plague. Others suggested humankind was being punished by God. In all fairness, their worldview was rooted in supernaturalism — science hadn’t emerged.
Today, although science has provided insight into COVID-19, alternate theories have thrived. Bioterrorism, genetic engineering, laboratory safety breaches, and G5 networks, have dominated social media as baseless theories for COVID. Some believe the virus isn’t real despite rising cases and fatalities — indeed, conspiracies infect collective trust and action.
Yet, the pandemic was created by humans. It wasn’t genetically engineered, though; rather, human behaviour is to blame. “The microbe is nothing, the terrain is everything,” explained Louis Pasteur, which reminds us that while pathogens have specific genetic features that cause them to “behave,” the development of the pandemic was influenced by other unpredictable variables like humans.
In addition to the virus’ biology, human behaviour — our compulsion for immediate gratification, dismissals of science, and an unwillingness to adhere to protocols and restrictions — has caused the pandemic.
As we move forward, can we be more like the villagers in Eyam and commit to solidarity and sound strategies to shorten the lifespan of COVID-19 or will we continue to grapple with the pandemic and its discontents? I think we can work toward the collective good, but it will require solidarity, commitment, and goodwill.