Comparing Ebola To The Bubonic Plague
Recently in Western Africa, in 2014, the Ebola epidemic broke out, infecting hundreds of millions of Africans, while managing to kill nearly half of the patients it infects. This deadly disease has an high mortality rate, and causes fever, swelling, rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, and kidney and liver failure before death. This disease has brought an outpouring of help and support from the Western world, mainly from Europe and the United States, mainly through the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. Although this disease’s health impact is rather large, its impact on daily life, politics, social activities, and the economy has been even greater on most African citizens and countries. Many have been comparing Ebola to the Bubonic Plague, in both
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During the Ebola Epidemic, countries such as Ivory Coast, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone had imposed trade and cargo bans in order to prevent further spread of the virus. In addition, “a number of airlines, including British Airways, Emirate Airlines, and Kenya Airways, have suspended flights to the affected countries” as a measure to prevent the disease from traveling to new places (AFRICA). During the Bubonic Plague in the 1300s, similar measures were taken once the Italians found out about this deadly disease. Shortly after they discovered it, they shut down their ports and stopped incoming cargo in order to prevent the spread of disease, just as we did with Ebola. In addition, both Ebola and the Bubonic Plague deeply damaged the economies in both the short run and the long run. In the short run, both the Bubonic Plague and Ebola resulted in economies with little natural resources and agricultural products, thus not allowing them to trade. In addition, due to the carnage and mass death, there was a great loss of jobs and employment, as businesses quickly went bankrupt since no one was buying their products. In the long run, both the Bubonic Plague and Ebola severely limited economic growth, as permanent damage was caused to the economy. This permanent damage included a decrease in population, high unemployment, and little natural resources. Overall, Ebola and the Bubonic Plague had quite similar effects economically, both in the long run and the short
During the Ebola Epidemic, countries such as Ivory Coast, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone had imposed trade and cargo bans in order to prevent further spread of the virus. In addition, “a number of airlines, including British Airways, Emirate Airlines, and Kenya Airways, have suspended flights to the affected countries” as a measure to prevent the disease from traveling to new places (AFRICA). During the Bubonic Plague in the 1300s, similar measures were taken once the Italians found out about this deadly disease. Shortly after they discovered it, they shut down their ports and stopped incoming cargo in order to prevent the spread of disease, just as we did with Ebola. In addition, both Ebola and the Bubonic Plague deeply damaged the economies in both the short run and the long run. In the short run, both the Bubonic Plague and Ebola resulted in economies with little natural resources and agricultural products, thus not allowing them to trade. In addition, due to the carnage and mass death, there was a great loss of jobs and employment, as businesses quickly went bankrupt since no one was buying their products. In the long run, both the Bubonic Plague and Ebola severely limited economic growth, as permanent damage was caused to the economy. This permanent damage included a decrease in population, high unemployment, and little natural resources. Overall, Ebola and the Bubonic Plague had quite similar effects economically, both in the long run and the short