As I read that 1 in 500 Americans have died of COVID19 so far, I decided to cheer myself up by reading a quasi-historical account about everyday life during the time of the Black Death, which killed 30-50% of the population.
Amazing how people knew it was coming. Travelers and gossip brought news of it to even small villages. People had a hard time believing that it would actually be as bad as it was. 
There is still debate on whether the Black Death was actually caused by the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis or instead one of the epidemic hemorrhagic viruses like Ebola. There are some pretty good arguments for Ebola here.
nature.com/scitable/blog/…
nature.com/scitable/blog/…
1. There were no reports of massive numbers of dead rats
2. Black death spread on average 10 miles per day while the Plague moves under one foot per day - this is more in line with Ebola
3. Incubation period for plague is short, only 2-6d, vs 2-21d for Ebola
2. Black death spread on average 10 miles per day while the Plague moves under one foot per day - this is more in line with Ebola
3. Incubation period for plague is short, only 2-6d, vs 2-21d for Ebola
The long duration of Ebola matches the 40d quarantine that was instituted for Black Death.
Honestly, I wonder if the Black Death was an airborne viral hemorrhagic fever. Plague can go airborne (pneumonic plague), but its incubation period is much shorter.
Honestly, I wonder if the Black Death was an airborne viral hemorrhagic fever. Plague can go airborne (pneumonic plague), but its incubation period is much shorter.
And the obvious chilling conclusion: "Humankind would be unprepared if an epidemic like the Black Death caused by a hemorrhagic fever took place today."
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