Explaining the Worst Pandemics in History

A somber episode of After Skool (previously) tells the history of the world’s worst pandemics and explains what we can learn from them using a combination of whiteboard illustrations and historical photos.

Throughout history, there have been a number of pandemics of diseases such as smallpox and tuberculosis. One of the most devastating pandemics was the Black Death, which killed an estimated 100–200 million people in the 14th century. Current pandemics include HIV/AIDS and the 2019 coronavirus disease. Other notable pandemics include the 1918 influenza pandemic (Spanish flu) and the 2009 flu pandemic (H1N1).

The sad conclusion is that humans rely on a very fragile system that can be upended at any time, yet there are positive steps we can take to mitigate societal breakdown, including that of fear itself.