What illnesses were people most afraid of during different historical eras? There was leprosy, influenza, bubonic plague, syphilis, smallpox, cholera, tuberculosis, and COVID-19, but none of those existed by themselves, and even these diseases were sometimes misdiagnosed because there was always something else out there that wanted to kill you. And these diseases became epidemics because of close living conditions and poor sanitation in crowded cities. Our own sociability became a mass transit system for bacteria and viruses. Enhanced travel took diseases to other communities all around the world. If you worry about getting sick, just be thankful for modern science. Back when we couldn't figure out what was causing these diseases, much less prevent or treat them, your odds for surviving them were downright dismal.
POLIO!!
ReplyDeleteTo know it is to fear it.
xoxoxoBruce
It worries me that they call it COVID-19 rather than corona.
ReplyDeleteTaking the co from corona, v from virus, I.D. from identity, and 19 from the tail end of 2019 implies strongly that they have more in reserve ... as in COVID-24.
Whereas corona, with or without the capital C, Miss C, is friendly sounding like Corona beer, a Toyota Corona, or even the sun's corona.