Munira Adan

It has consistently been observed and cited that the development and production of thoughts related to better understanding the sources of illness and pain ceased at the start of the Bubonic Plague. This is analogous to the pause in support for the scientific community during the Covid-19 pandemic and the rejection of preventative measures used to avoid transmission. A retrospective review of accessible manuals, manuscripts, and medical texts pertaining to both the Covid-19 pandemic and the Bubonic plague has disclosed how the course of a pandemic can be directly influenced by heads of state. Additionally, an analysis attending to modern literature and literary works such as Boccaccio’s Decameron and the anonymous dream vision Pearl, both of which supplied critical representation and visual imagery needed to understand the Bubonic plague and pandemic responses, have provided insight into how social norms and the prevalence of misinformation resulted in the mishandling of pandemics during both modern and medieval times. Although medicine during the Middle Ages is seen as a distant relative to modern medicine, the kinship between the two is much closer. In societies where balance, well-being, and rules are not only the norm but expected, understanding the impacts plague had on one society can be beneficial to the other. In order to promote well-being, the scientific pursuit of knowledge, and restrain impacts that future pandemics may cause, it is imperative that the impact of social norms, misinformation, and mishandling of pandemics by heads of state be understood and acknowledged.