For the last two months, the novel coronavirus that emanated from the Chinese region Wuhan has attracted global attention. It has created a global panic, leading to various countries’ closure of flights from and to China.
Until today, over 2000 deaths have been caused by the deadly novel coronavirus, while the people infected by it are no less than 74000.
However, despite all the evidence, the virus seems not as deadly as the fear it has caused.
Perhaps, the fear has been further multiplied by the fictitious novels and movies that depict the world with few survivors. Those who survived were spared by the clemency of the writer, as he had to utilize the protagonist in the story.
For example, a drama series “Last Man on Earth” suggests the only person who escapes from the global epidemic that killed the whole human beings. He is left alone to suffer to find across the various US states to see if anyone except him is alive.
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However, human history tells us that it has happened several times in the past that more pandemics have disrupted the human population. Perhaps, compared to those outbreaks, coronavirus is less dangerous or fatal.
Here we discuss ten deadliest pandemics that destroyed a greater part of the world.
(10) Encephalitis Lethargica
(1.5 million deaths)
This outbreak was a virus that would attack the human brain and looked like a neck-breaking temperature. It caused dizziness and left the patient unable to move.
(9) Asian Flu
(2 million killed)
Between 1957 and 1958, the flu spread from China that engulfed the world within a few days. According to some experts, its virus transmitted from ducks to humans.
This epidemic killed 2 million people. Only 70000 deaths were reported in the US due to this virus.
(8) Persian Plague
(over 2 million deaths)
From time to time, the plague has raised its head in the past ages, but 1772 was the year in Persia saw one of the deadliest epidemics. At that time, there was no cure for that fatal disease that engulfed the whole country.
(7) Cocoliztli 2
(over 2 million deaths)
It followed the invasion of Spanish adventurers on the American continent that led to this contagion.
The local American population did not have the cure to this newly imported European disease, that deserted a vast proportion of the people.
This happened between 1576 and 1580 in Mexico that devoured around 2.5 million people’s lives. It is, however, not clear what was the exact cause, but the patients would report high temperatures before the blood-flowing from various parts of their bodies.
(6) Antonine Plague
(between 5 and 10 million deaths)
This horrific epidemic spread when the Roman empire was at its zenith and continued between 165 and 180 AD.
It destroyed a considerable part of Europe. The famous doctor, Galen, lived during this era explained the details of this illness. However, it is not clear whether it was measles or smallpox.
(5) Cocoliztli 1
(Between 5 to 15 million)
This pandemic also spread across Mexico, but three decades before Cocolizti 2. Unfortunately, the reason was the same: European migration.
However, this outbreak played havoc on a far greater scale, that killed over 5 million people.
These figures are more disturbing, keeping in view the population of that compared to that of the contemporary.
(4) Justinian Plague
(25 million deaths)
The outbreak occurred between 541 and 542 and is the first major example of the plague. This epidemic engulfed the area spanning the Byzantine Empire, including parts of the Sassanid Empire within two years.
It was such massive destruction as that experts say it changed the course of history. It is also said that the outbreak weakened both empires so much so that Arabs could be able to destroy them easily.
(3) AIDS/ HIV
Aids is a relatively new epidemic whose virus, reportedly, first transmitted from Champansies in western Africa to man. From there, it spread across the rest of the world.
Most badly, it affected Africa, and over 60% of the patients reportedly belong to sub-Saharan Africa.
(2) Spanish Flu
(100 million deaths)
This pandemic spread during WWI when the world’s population was 1750 million, while every fourth person was affected by it.
At that time, the destruction caused by Spanish flu was kept secret due to the world war, while since Spain did not participate in the war, the deaths in the Iberian Peninsula could not be so neatly hidden.
Usually, flu attacks children and the elderly, but the particular victims of Spanish flue were the men.
(1) Black Death
(100 to 200 million deaths)
Human history might not have a more destructive phase than it witnessed during the plague of 1347 and 1351. It is said that had this outbreak not occurred, the world demography would have been entirely changed.
According to the experts, the virus spread from eastern Asia to the middle east before reaching Europe, where it devoured over 50 percent of its population. The destruction was of so complete a nature that there was no one left to bury the dead.
