From the Athens's plague to the pink plague: The history of pandemics before COVID-19

Abstract

In world history, great epidemics not only caused thousands of deaths, but also emotional, psychosocial and even economical crises. But in the end, resilience gained territory, causing great learning and increased capacity for adaptation and survival. This article is the first of two, which categorize the great epidemics that hit the world during various periods of history. Its symptoms and its etiology are described within the historical context. Epidemics and pandemics are the result of variables such as poverty, lack of hygiene and a serious tendency to individualism, among others; in addition to stress factors that are the result of an accelerated rhythm of life, all of which survive to this day.