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https://doi.org/10.12759/hsr.suppl.33.2021.302-315

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The COVID-19 Pandemic in Historical Perspective

Die COVID-19-Pandemie in historischer Perspektive
[journal article]

Bourdelais, Patrice

Abstract

This paper seeks to better understand the pandemic by looking at the long term (longue durée). It is first recalled that the progressive construction of a horizon of eradication of infectious diseases led the population of rich countries to consider that the great epidemics no longer represented a... view more

This paper seeks to better understand the pandemic by looking at the long term (longue durée). It is first recalled that the progressive construction of a horizon of eradication of infectious diseases led the population of rich countries to consider that the great epidemics no longer represented a real danger. A sanitary disarmament of our societies followed. However, the scientific response, its strength and speed, which made it possible to propose a vaccine in less than a year, constituted a real breakthrough, making it possible to envisage a control of the epidemic in these northern countries within a short time. In the face of this breakthrough, however, we can observe a strong permanence of the reactions of populations and societies (incredulity, construction of rumours, instrumentalization by all social and political actors). Finally, after about a century and a half of existence, the parenthesis of freedom of movement during epidemics has closed in the face of COVID-19. The article insists on the importance of the quality of alerts in the control of epidemics since the 14th century and questions the effectiveness of the WHO in this field if a large country does not respect the obligation of immediate declaration. It also questions the entry of humanity in a new pandemic era as a consequence of the demographic growth and the unprecedented scale of exchanges.... view less

Keywords
epidemic; contagious disease; historical development; medicine; progress; vaccination; health policy

Classification
Health Policy
Social History, Historical Social Research

Free Keywords
COVID-19; Coronavirus; History of epidemics; epidemics social dynamics; historical horizon of eradication

Document language
English

Publication Year
2021

Page/Pages
p. 302-315

Journal
Historical Social Research, Supplement (2021) 33

Issue topic
Epidemics and Pandemics - the Historical Perspective

ISSN
0936-6784

Status
Published Version; peer reviewed

Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution 4.0


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© 2007 - 2025 Social Science Open Access Repository (SSOAR).
Based on DSpace, Copyright (c) 2002-2022, DuraSpace. All rights reserved.