For Most of Human History, Outbreaks of Disease, Disability and Death Were Commonplace

We had a half-century reprieve, thinking pandemics had been mostly eliminated. But more plagues are likely coming

In the study of contemporary, mainstream history — from the 1970s until 2020 — pandemics and fearful contagious disease outbreaks were largely ignored, left out or forgotten. Most people thought medical science extinguished them and that history was no longer relevant to the lives of 21st century students.

Communicable diseases like the bubonic plague,…