RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Are we Athens or Florence? COVID-19 in historical context
JF Family Medicine and Community Health
JO Fam Med Com Health
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e000811
DO 10.1136/fmch-2020-000811
VO 9
IS 1
A1 Benjamin R Doolittle
YR 2021
UL http://fmch.bmj.com/content/9/1/e000811.abstract
AB We have been here before. In 430 BCE, a plague struck Athens, killing as much as 25% of the population. In 1347 CE, the bubonic plague afflicted western Europe for 4 years, killing as much as 50% of the population. The plague of Athens led to a collapse of their religion, cultural norms and democracy. In contrast, the bubonic plague led eventually to the Renaissance, a growth of art, science and humanism. As we contend with the COVID-19 global pandemic, will we become Athens or Florence?