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[Isolation and distancing during the plague epidemics].

Authors :
van Gulik TM
Source :
Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde [Ned Tijdschr Geneeskd] 2020 Dec 03; Vol. 164. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Dec 03.
Publication Year :
2020

Abstract

The plague epidemics wiped out large parts of the city population from the 15th to the 17th century in the Netherlands. The plague bacterium (Yersinia pestis) is transmitted to humans through infected rats and fleas and has been transferred from China to Europe via the trade routes over land and sea. Meetings were banned, plague victims were isolated at home or in pest houses, and ships quarantined. In the densely populated, poor neighborhoods of the cities, however, isolation and keeping distance were not feasible, which allowed the plague to rapidly spread. The lessons we have learned from the plague epidemics are timeless. Isolation, keeping your distance and quarantine were key principles and now apply again in the approach to the current Covid-19 pandemic. How effective these measures are depends on the social context in which they are applied.

Details

Language :
Dutch; Flemish
ISSN :
1876-8784
Volume :
164
Database :
MEDLINE
Journal :
Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
33332041