Thursday, September 24, 2020
The History of Pandemics
The History of Pandemics
Pan·dem·ic /panĖdemik/ (of a disease) prevalent over a whole country or the world.
As humans have spread across the world, so have infectious diseases. Even in this modern era, outbreaks are nearly constant, though not every outbreak reaches pandemic level as COVID-19 has.
Today’s visualization outlines some of history’s most deadly pandemics, from the Antonine Plague to the current COVID-19 event.
A Timeline of Historical Pandemics
Disease and illnesses have plagued humanity since the earliest days, our mortal flaw. However, it was not until the marked shift to agrarian communities that the scale and spread of these diseases increased dramatically.
Widespread trade created new opportunities for human and animal interactions that sped up such epidemics. Malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, influenza, smallpox, and others first appeared during these early years.
The more civilized humans became – with larger cities, more exotic trade routes, and increased contact with different populations of people, animals, and ecosystems – the more likely pandemics would occur.
Here are some of the major pandemics that have occurred over time:
| Name | Time period | Type / Pre-human host | Death toll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antonine Plague | 165-180 | Believed to be either smallpox or measles | 5M |
| Japanese smallpox epidemic | 735-737 | Variola major virus | 1M |
| Plague of Justinian | 541-542 | Yersinia pestis bacteria / Rats, fleas | 30-50M |
| Black Death | 1347-1351 | Yersinia pestis bacteria / Rats, fleas | 200M |
| New World Smallpox Outbreak | 1520 – onwards | Variola major virus | 56M |
| Great Plague of London | 1665 | Yersinia pestis bacteria / Rats, fleas | 100,000 |
| Italian plague | 1629-1631 | Yersinia pestis bacteria / Rats, fleas | 1M |
| Cholera Pandemics 1-6 | 1817-1923 | V. cholerae bacteria | 1M+ |
| Third Plague | 1885 | Yersinia pestis bacteria / Rats, fleas | 12M (China and India) |
| Yellow Fever | Late 1800s | Virus / Mosquitoes | 100,000-150,000 (U.S.) |
| Russian Flu | 1889-1890 | Believed to be H2N2 (avian origin) | 1M |
| Spanish Flu | 1918-1919 | H1N1 virus / Pigs | 40-50M |
| Asian Flu | 1957-1958 | H2N2 virus | 1.1M |
| Hong Kong Flu | 1968-1970 | H3N2 virus | 1M |
| HIV/AIDS | 1981-present | Virus / Chimpanzees | 25-35M |
| Swine Flu | 2009-2010 | H1N1 virus / Pigs | 200,000 |
| SARS | 2002-2003 | Coronavirus / Bats, Civets | 770 |
| Ebola | 2014-2016 | Ebolavirus / Wild animals | 11,000 |
| MERS | 2015-Present | Coronavirus / Bats, camels | 850 |
| COVID-19 | 2019-Present | Coronavirus – Unknown (possibly pangolins) | 848K (Johns Hopkins University estimate as of 10:28am PT, Aug 31, 2020) |
Note: Many of the death toll numbers listed above are best estimates based on available research. Some, such as the Plague of Justinian and Swine Flu, are subject to debate based on new evidence.
Despite the persistence of disease and pandemics throughout history, there’s one consistent trend over time – a gradual reduction in the death rate. Healthcare improvements and understanding the factors that incubate pandemics have been powerful tools in mitigating their impact.
Wrath of the Gods
In many ancient societies, people believed that spirits and gods inflicted disease and destruction upon those that deserved their wrath. This unscientific perception often led to disastrous responses that resulted in the deaths of thousands, if not millions.
In the case of Justinian’s plague, the Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea traced the origins of the plague (the Yersinia pestis bacteria) to China and northeast India, via land and sea trade routes to Egypt where it entered the Byzantine Empire through Mediterranean ports.
Despite his apparent knowledge of the role geography and trade played in this spread, Procopius laid blame for the outbreak on the Emperor Justinian, declaring him to be either a devil, or invoking God’s punishment for his evil ways. Some historians found that this event could have dashed Emperor Justinian’s efforts to reunite the Western and Eastern remnants of the Roman Empire, and marked the beginning of the Dark Ages.
Luckily, humanity’s understanding of the causes of disease has improved, and this is resulting in a drastic improvement in the response to modern pandemics, albeit slow and incomplete.
Importing Disease
The practice of quarantine began during the 14th century, in an effort to protect coastal cities from plague epidemics. Cautious port authorities required ships arriving in Venice from infected ports to sit at anchor for 40 days before landing — the origin of the word quarantine from the Italian “quaranta giorni”, or 40 days.
One of the first instances of relying on geography and statistical analysis was in mid-19th century London, during a cholera outbreak. In 1854, Dr. John Snow came to the conclusion that cholera was spreading via tainted water and decided to display neighborhood mortality data directly on a map. This method revealed a cluster of cases around a specific pump from which people were drawing their water from.
While the interactions created through trade and urban life play a pivotal role, it is also the virulent nature of particular diseases that indicate the trajectory of a pandemic.
Tracking Infectiousness
Scientists use a basic measure to track the infectiousness of a disease called the reproduction number — also known as R0 or “R naught.” This number tells us how many susceptible people, on average, each sick person will in turn infect.
Measles tops the list, being the most contagious with a R0 range of 12-18. This means a single person can infect, on average, 12 to 18 people in an unvaccinated population.
While measles may be the most virulent, vaccination efforts and herd immunity can curb its spread. The more people are immune to a disease, the less likely it is to proliferate, making vaccinations critical to prevent the resurgence of known and treatable diseases.
It’s hard to calculate and forecast the true impact of COVID-19, as the outbreak is still ongoing and researchers are still learning about this new form of coronavirus.
Urbanization and the Spread of Disease
We arrive at where we began, with rising global connections and interactions as a driving force behind pandemics. From small hunting and gathering tribes to the metropolis, humanity’s reliance on one another has also sparked opportunities for disease to spread.
Urbanization in the developing world is bringing more and more rural residents into denser neighborhoods, while population increases are putting greater pressure on the environment. At the same time, passenger air traffic nearly doubled in the past decade. These macro trends are having a profound impact on the spread of infectious disease.
As organizations and governments around the world ask for citizens to practice social distancing to help reduce the rate of infection, the digital world is allowing people to maintain connections and commerce like never before.
Editor’s Note: The COVID-19 pandemic is in its early stages and it is obviously impossible to predict its future impact. This post and infographic are meant to provide historical context, and we will continue to update it as time goes on to maintain its accuracy.
Update (March 15, 2020): We’ve adjusted the death toll for COVID-19, and will continue to update on a regular basis.
BLAST FROM THE PAST!
(ash tray in the car on the door)
(Speakers to hang on your slightly rolled down car window
to hear the sound of the movie at the local drive-in theatre)
(GUM! Above and below)
(on the driver's lefthand side - on the floor,
you could push this with your foot and
the windshield wiper would work once.
If you kept your foot pressed on it, it would continue)
I still have mine!!
(Made of wax, these had little drinks inside.
You could chew on the wax!)
(These are "flash bulbs" - you put them on the top of your camera if you needed a flash.
After each flash, the camera would turn the bulb to the next flash. All four sides flashed.
You had to remove it and add another one to the top of your camera.)
I had one - we all did!!
True story - This would have been in the 90's
A guest at my child's birthday party needed to call their parent for a ride home.
We had a toddler who kept breaking our hanging wall unit phone and my brother
gave us one of these very sturdy (and heavy) old phones with the dial.
We pointed to it sitting there on our desk. She looked at the thing. My husband says,
"Do you know how to use that".
Her reply - and I wish I could somehow put the inflection in this response,
but I'm sure you can imagine it. - "NO!"
(Once upon a time we had to replace transistors in our TV -
so we had these testing stations to check them out)
(Top left - road map
Top right - the yellow pages
YES - we all used these - that's what was available!
Bottom right - knobs on the TV - NO REMOTE!
Bottom left - you had to use this to crank your window up/down in the car,
actually though, you can still find these on the really cheap cars at the car lot)
A LONG time ago, they gave out free maps at the gas station.
Then you had to pay for them. But not much)
Incredible Pictures - Weird World
A lot of these are from "Weird World". Check out the link - which is in PDF form - just keep scrolling! Really Incredible Stuff!! I think this is best seen on the biggest computer screen you have.
https://static.uglyhedgehog.com/upload/2017/1/18/h1-456416-doc_20170113_wa0013.pdf
https://static.uglyhedgehog.com/upload/2017/1/18/h1-456416-doc_20170113_wa0013.pdf
Sunday, August 30, 2020
A Beautifull Miracle
When a train filled with a large transport of Jewish prisoners arrived at one of the Nazi killing centers, many Polish gentiles came out to watch the latest group as they were taken away. As the disoriented Jews were gathering their possessions to take with them into the camp, a Nazi officer in charge called out to the villagers standing nearby, "Anything these Jews leave behind you may take for yourselves, because for sure they will not be coming back to collect them!"
Two Polish women who were standing nearby saw a woman towards the back of the group, wearing a large, heavy, expensive coat. Not waiting for someone else to take the coat before them, they ran to the Jewish woman and knocked her to the ground, grabbed her coat and scurried away.
Moving out of sight of the others, they quickly laid the coat down on the ground to divide the spoils of what was hiding inside. Rummaging through the pockets, they giddily discovered gold jewelry, silver candlesticks and other heirlooms. They were thrilled with their find, but as they lifted the coat again, it still seemed heavier than it should. Upon further inspection, they found a secret pocket, and hidden inside the coat was .... a tiny baby girl!
Shocked at their discovery, one woman took pity and insisted to the other, "I don't have any children, and I'm too old to give birth now. You take the gold and silver and let me have the baby." The Polish woman took her new "daughter" home to her delighted husband. They raised the Jewish girl as their own, treating her very well, but never telling her anything about her history. The girl excelled in her studies and even became a doctor, working as a pediatrician in a hospital in Poland.
When her "mother" passed away many years later, a visitor came to pay her respects. An old woman invited herself in and said to the daughter, "I want you to know that the woman that passed away last week was not your real mother ..." and she proceeded to tell her the whole story. She did not believe her at first, but the old woman insisted.
"When we found you, you were wearing a beautiful gold pendant with strange writing on it, which must be Hebrew.
I am sure that your mother kept the necklace. Go and see for yourself." Indeed, the woman went into her deceased mother's jewelry box and found the necklace just as the elderly lady had described. She was shocked. It was hard to fathom that she had been of Jewish descent, but the proof was right there in her hand. As this was her only link to a previous life, she cherished the necklace. She had it enlarged to fit her neck and wore it every day, although she thought nothing more of her Jewish roots.
Some time later, she went on holiday abroad and came across two Jewish boys standing on a main street, trying to interest Jewish passersby to wrap Tefillin on their arms (for males) or accept Shabbos candles to light on Friday afternoon (for females). Seizing the opportunity, she told them her entire story and showed them the necklace. The boys confirmed that a Jewish name was inscribed on the necklace but did not know about her status. They recommended that she write a letter to their mentor, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, explaining everything. If anyone would know what to do, it would be him.
She took their advice and sent off a letter that very same day. She received a speedy reply saying that it is clear from the facts that she is a Jewish girl and perhaps she would consider using her medical skills in Israel where talented pediatricians were needed. Her curiosity was piqued and she traveled to Israel where she consulted a Rabbinical Court (Beit Din) who declared her Jewish. Soon she was accepted into a hospital to work, and eventually met her husband and raised a family.
In August 2001, a terrorist blew up the Sbarro cafe in the center of Jerusalem. The injured were rushed to the hospital where this woman worked. One patient was brought in, an elderly man in a state of shock. He was searching everywhere for his granddaughter who had become separated from him.
Asking how she could recognize her, the frantic grandfather gave a description of a gold necklace that she was wearing.
Eventually, they finally found her among the injured patients.
At the sight of this necklace, the pediatrician froze. She turned to the old man and said, "Where did you buy this necklace?"
"You can't buy such a necklace," he responded, "I am a goldsmith and I made this necklace. Actually I made two identical pieces for each of my daughters. This is my granddaughter from one of them, and my other daughter did not survive the war."
And this is the story of how a Jewish girl, brutally torn away from her mother on a Nazi camp platform almost sixty years ago, was reunited with her father .....
Adapted from the book "Heroes of Faith"
Two Polish women who were standing nearby saw a woman towards the back of the group, wearing a large, heavy, expensive coat. Not waiting for someone else to take the coat before them, they ran to the Jewish woman and knocked her to the ground, grabbed her coat and scurried away.
Moving out of sight of the others, they quickly laid the coat down on the ground to divide the spoils of what was hiding inside. Rummaging through the pockets, they giddily discovered gold jewelry, silver candlesticks and other heirlooms. They were thrilled with their find, but as they lifted the coat again, it still seemed heavier than it should. Upon further inspection, they found a secret pocket, and hidden inside the coat was .... a tiny baby girl!
Shocked at their discovery, one woman took pity and insisted to the other, "I don't have any children, and I'm too old to give birth now. You take the gold and silver and let me have the baby." The Polish woman took her new "daughter" home to her delighted husband. They raised the Jewish girl as their own, treating her very well, but never telling her anything about her history. The girl excelled in her studies and even became a doctor, working as a pediatrician in a hospital in Poland.
When her "mother" passed away many years later, a visitor came to pay her respects. An old woman invited herself in and said to the daughter, "I want you to know that the woman that passed away last week was not your real mother ..." and she proceeded to tell her the whole story. She did not believe her at first, but the old woman insisted.
"When we found you, you were wearing a beautiful gold pendant with strange writing on it, which must be Hebrew.
I am sure that your mother kept the necklace. Go and see for yourself." Indeed, the woman went into her deceased mother's jewelry box and found the necklace just as the elderly lady had described. She was shocked. It was hard to fathom that she had been of Jewish descent, but the proof was right there in her hand. As this was her only link to a previous life, she cherished the necklace. She had it enlarged to fit her neck and wore it every day, although she thought nothing more of her Jewish roots.
Some time later, she went on holiday abroad and came across two Jewish boys standing on a main street, trying to interest Jewish passersby to wrap Tefillin on their arms (for males) or accept Shabbos candles to light on Friday afternoon (for females). Seizing the opportunity, she told them her entire story and showed them the necklace. The boys confirmed that a Jewish name was inscribed on the necklace but did not know about her status. They recommended that she write a letter to their mentor, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, explaining everything. If anyone would know what to do, it would be him.
She took their advice and sent off a letter that very same day. She received a speedy reply saying that it is clear from the facts that she is a Jewish girl and perhaps she would consider using her medical skills in Israel where talented pediatricians were needed. Her curiosity was piqued and she traveled to Israel where she consulted a Rabbinical Court (Beit Din) who declared her Jewish. Soon she was accepted into a hospital to work, and eventually met her husband and raised a family.
In August 2001, a terrorist blew up the Sbarro cafe in the center of Jerusalem. The injured were rushed to the hospital where this woman worked. One patient was brought in, an elderly man in a state of shock. He was searching everywhere for his granddaughter who had become separated from him.
Asking how she could recognize her, the frantic grandfather gave a description of a gold necklace that she was wearing.
Eventually, they finally found her among the injured patients.
At the sight of this necklace, the pediatrician froze. She turned to the old man and said, "Where did you buy this necklace?"
"You can't buy such a necklace," he responded, "I am a goldsmith and I made this necklace. Actually I made two identical pieces for each of my daughters. This is my granddaughter from one of them, and my other daughter did not survive the war."
And this is the story of how a Jewish girl, brutally torn away from her mother on a Nazi camp platform almost sixty years ago, was reunited with her father .....
Adapted from the book "Heroes of Faith"
This is an incredible link below with incredible stories - well worth your time . . .
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a1a3d64b9ea4488aa6912255c3297b8a
Holocaust Survivors - See the journey, struggle, heroics and survival -- The Stories of they who lived through it . . .
Dr. Carole Vopat, former University of Wisconsin- Parkside professor, held a class called "Holocaust Studies". Through the help of HERC in Milwaukee and the Skokie Holocaust Museum, they found survivors who were willing to travel to Parkside to tell their stories of survival.
You will find through studying the Holocaust that many survivors are reluctant to share their journey, but there are others, who through age found that it was their duty to share in their experiences, to be able to give the youth of today a story of how one person surviving, one person defying the odds, one person standing up for whats right is the reason that these stories must live on. Through perseverance and strife these people and their families overcame what many at the time would have thought impossible. They survived. Now we get to hear their stories and remember for generations to come, that no matter how big or small an act of genocide can be, it is detrimental to human civilization.
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/a1a3d64b9ea4488aa6912255c3297b8a
Holocaust Survivors - See the journey, struggle, heroics and survival -- The Stories of they who lived through it . . .
Dr. Carole Vopat, former University of Wisconsin- Parkside professor, held a class called "Holocaust Studies". Through the help of HERC in Milwaukee and the Skokie Holocaust Museum, they found survivors who were willing to travel to Parkside to tell their stories of survival.
You will find through studying the Holocaust that many survivors are reluctant to share their journey, but there are others, who through age found that it was their duty to share in their experiences, to be able to give the youth of today a story of how one person surviving, one person defying the odds, one person standing up for whats right is the reason that these stories must live on. Through perseverance and strife these people and their families overcame what many at the time would have thought impossible. They survived. Now we get to hear their stories and remember for generations to come, that no matter how big or small an act of genocide can be, it is detrimental to human civilization.
Monday, August 17, 2020
DAY ONE OF HOME SCHOOLING 2020
0800 opened school website to get assignments.
0900 found where assignments were hidden on the website.
0915 called school to have the website explained.
0930 called school again.
0945 Had wife call school
1030 started printing first assignment
1031 ran out of printer ink
1035 sent wife to buy more ink while I watched YouTube to learn how to do common core.
1039 Had first cocktail
1100 googling who the idiot was that came up with common core.
1102 2nd cocktail.
1115 Called school to see if the virus was still an issue and if so, could I sign a waiver for my kids.
1116 School asked me not to call back.
1120 Realized my wife wasn't home yet. Called her to find out she was having a difficult time finding the right ink. Pretty sure, I heard someone in the background yell her name followed with "Venti vanilla latte!" Right before she hung up on me.
1130 started 1st assignment
1145 lunch break
1230 restarted first assignment.
1235 read 3 chapters to help answer 2 questions.
1240 Figured I'm either being played or they have been falsifying their report card.
1245 practicing disguising my voice so I can call the school again
1300 didnt work
1315 Scraping "My kid is a TERRIFIC student" sticker off of all vehicles.
1400 beginning to think wife isn't coming home
1415 Decided to have an early release.
1430 walking to town in Hope's of catching virus and being quarantined.
1600 arrested for egging school and drinking in public
1615 released and given a ride home to maximize punishment
1800 wife gets home. Couldn't find ink. Pretty sure her hair and nails are done.
2200 working on an excuse to get out of school tomorrow.
0900 found where assignments were hidden on the website.
0915 called school to have the website explained.
0930 called school again.
0945 Had wife call school
1030 started printing first assignment
1031 ran out of printer ink
1035 sent wife to buy more ink while I watched YouTube to learn how to do common core.
1039 Had first cocktail
1100 googling who the idiot was that came up with common core.
1102 2nd cocktail.
1115 Called school to see if the virus was still an issue and if so, could I sign a waiver for my kids.
1116 School asked me not to call back.
1120 Realized my wife wasn't home yet. Called her to find out she was having a difficult time finding the right ink. Pretty sure, I heard someone in the background yell her name followed with "Venti vanilla latte!" Right before she hung up on me.
1130 started 1st assignment
1145 lunch break
1230 restarted first assignment.
1235 read 3 chapters to help answer 2 questions.
1240 Figured I'm either being played or they have been falsifying their report card.
1245 practicing disguising my voice so I can call the school again
1300 didnt work
1315 Scraping "My kid is a TERRIFIC student" sticker off of all vehicles.
1400 beginning to think wife isn't coming home
1415 Decided to have an early release.
1430 walking to town in Hope's of catching virus and being quarantined.
1600 arrested for egging school and drinking in public
1615 released and given a ride home to maximize punishment
1800 wife gets home. Couldn't find ink. Pretty sure her hair and nails are done.
2200 working on an excuse to get out of school tomorrow.
Friday, July 17, 2020
Friday, July 10, 2020
A Rotary Challenge - TOO GOOD!!
Too Funny - two teens try to figure
out how an old rotary phone works!
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