1. Some perspective for our lockdowns: In 1665, plague came to Eyam, a tiny village in Derbyshire, England. Flea-infested cloth arrived from London. The tailor’s assistant died soon after opening the parcel. At that point, Reverend William Mompesson did something extraordinary. 
2. Church services were moved outdoors and social distancing was implemented. A stone was set at the village edge for food deliveries. Most astonishingly, the reverend ordered a village-wide quarantine. It wasn’t to save themselves; it was to save others. It was a death sentence.
3. The village locked down knowing they would die. Numbers differ, but between 54% and 77% of them died. But crucially, the village likely saved countless lives by stopping or slowing the spread into surrounding communities. Here’s the cottage where the outbreak started.
4. In one cottage, an entire family — 9 people — were wiped out. Amazingly, the village gravedigger, a man named Marshall Howe, survived the plague.
5. Eyam is forever known as the “plague village.” If you’re interested, I discuss the story of Eyam on a Pandemics-themed episode of @PowrCorrupts, which also includes some very bizarre stories of dancing plagues and why the Spanish Flu is unfairly named. podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/pow…
