CONTAGION

中国战疫史：惨痛的代价，不屈的抗争

Since January, China has taken unprecedented measures to contain the Covid-19 outbreak. But this coronavirus isn't the first epidemic in Chinese history. From 17th century smallpox that imperiled the Manchu throne to a 20th century plague that gave birth to the face mask, we look at lessons China learned from past contagions, and the indelible changes these health crises wrought on modern sanitation and social governance

In 2010, archeologists came across the grisly sight of over 100 skeletons stuffed into small rooms in a Neolithic ruin in Inner Mongolia.

Experts have since theorized that these were victims of some prehistoric plague, who were hastily isolated and buried in order to stop the chain of infection.

According to a folk saying, ancient China saw “a major epidemic every 10 years, and a minor outbreak every three years.” Imperiling emperors and commoners alike, these disease outbreaks devastated the population, and changed the course of wars and dynasties.

Today, as the world battles Covid-19, we look back at the lessons learned from several pivotal pandemics in Chinese history. From Qing dynasty outbreaks of smallpox, cholera, and plague that

heralded the development of public sanitation, to the construction of emergency hospitals during SARS, diseases have always been around us—and have continually reshaped the way our societies live.

从明末清初的天花、清朝末年的霍乱、20世纪初的东北肺鼠疫，到2003年的SARS，流行病在中国的历史上时隐时现。中国人与细菌、病毒战斗的抗疫史也是中国公共卫生体系的建设史。