Medicine in philately: History of quarantine

Abstract

Objectives: This article provides an overview through philately on the history of the quarantine ap-plications which dominate the whole world nowadays because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Content: In this review article, the History of Quarantine is enriched with philatelic examples and tried to explain. Summary: Quarantine is defined as the isolation of animals, people, or land to prevent the spread of diseases or pests. It is different from medical isolation, which is for people who have been infected with the disease. The word “quarantine” comes from quarantine, Italian language meaning “40 days”. This is because of the 40-day isolation of ships and people practiced as a measure of disease prevention related to the plague. This practice was named “Quaranta” in the Republic of Venice, whose economy is based on trade, by keeping the ships coming to the city in the sea for 40 days off the city, so that the capital Venice will not be infected with epidemics. Outlook: People's efforts to take precautions against a possible pandemic risk are a practice that has been going on for ages. Quarantine, which is among the measures to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, includes measures taken by avoiding contact with humans and animals in suspected cases exposed to infectious diseases for a period equal to the longest incubation period of the disease.