Humans & Pandemics: Is COVID-19 Pandemic the worst the world has ever seen?

Why are people, media, some church leaders and governments behaving like COVID-19 is the worst the world has ever had? Why are people making false prophecies based on it as if it is the ultimate definition of end times?

Listen, compared to the past, COVID-19 is just another shortcoming!

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While COVID-19 pandemic has so far killed about 3.97 million and affected every aspect of life, it is not the worst that the world has ever seen! In this short article, I will explore some of the world’s worst pandemics and inspire you with your own history.

Pandemics other than COVID-19 Pandemic

1. Antonine Plague

The first recorded serious pandemic was called Antonine plague (165-180AD) claimed about 5 million people in great Roman Empire, including their emperor, Lucius Verus. While scholar believe that it was either small pox or measles brought in the empire by Roman soldiers from their war journeys in Near East (Asia, Italy and Egypt), most attributed it to gods and their wrath against human sins.  

2. Plague of Justinian

The second recorded plague was called Plague of Justinian (541-542 AD) and claimed between 30 and 50 million people across great Roman empire and Mediterranean. Do you get it?

Though this plague kept dying off and recurring until 750, it killed most people, at least 25-30 million people in one year! While Yersinia Pestis (a bacterium) is believed to have been the cause, many, including historian Procopius, attributed it to evil ways of emperor Justinian and thus God’s punishment.

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3. Black Death or Bubonic Plague

We will jump the Japanese small pox epidemic of 735-737 AD that killed almost a third of Japanese population, and report the worst of all since the human history, the black death, also called Bubonic plague (1347-1351).

This plague killed between 75-200 million people and it alone halved the population of both Europe and Asia combined for it killed between 30-60% of Eurasia’s population, reducing global population from 475 million to about 350 million.

Listen, Bubonic plague did all its work in just 4 years. Roughly, if we take the average of 75 and 200 million death, it killed about 35 million per year! Historians have said that it took 200 years for Europe to regain the population that was claimed by this pandemic.

Bubonic plague (Third Plague Pandemic) returned in 1855 (19th century) and murdered about 12 million in India and China. 10 million deaths occurred in India alone.  

Of all these, HIV/AIDS has been the weakest or one of the weakest pandemics, killing only between 25-30 million people since 1981. Roughly, HIV kills 700,000 people per year since its discovery in 1981, of course, killing more in some years than others. For example, in our modern times, we have few cases of HIV deaths.  

4. The Spanish flu

The Spanish flu (1918-1919) claimed about 19-100 million people. Can you see that? Over one year or so, the thing killed millions of people. Just like COVID-19, it was caused by a common microbe, the influenza, and this time it couldn’t be overcome.

Additionally, while COVID-19 has killed more old adults than young adults, Spanish flu killed more young adults than any other demographics. The thing infected about 500 million people, almost a quarter of world’s population in those years.

COVID-19 came into our world as early as September 2019. So far, we have 183 million cases and 3.97 deaths and 168 million recoveries. In Uganda, as of July 1st 2021, we had about 82,890 cases and 1,148 deaths. Even when nothing better is done on COVID-19 and its killing trend is maintained over the years, killing 44 people per month, the disease will be able to only kill 2,640 people in the next 5 years. This makes it one of the weakest and less dangerous plague the world has ever seen.  

What’s my point comparing COVID-19 Pandemic to our past pandemics?

My point in this post is not to downplay the danger posed by COVID-19 to our lives and global welfare but to provide hope to you by reciting much worse plagues and pandemics the world has ever seen and gone through.

Also, for us, the Christians, it is important to know that God who saw us through the past deadly times can see us through this as well, if He wills.

Lastly, I want to caution you against false prophets and media and opportunists using this time to prophesy doom, spread fear, and cause dangerous and risky reactions among masses than the COVID-19 itself.

We have always died. We have always sinned. Humans have never been good to the point that God withheld His wrath and, now that such goodness is gone, God is back to punish us. God’s mercy and grace reigns.

Whether we live or die, it is for the Lord. Let us calm down, do what we have to do and hope in God who is the true source of everything. Amen.