The epidemic that killed 8% of NYC's population Mickey Z.

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Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Mickey Z. -- World News Trust
June 20, 2020

Yellow Fever hit New York City hard in the late 18th century. The Big Apple population at the time was 60,000 and over the course of five years, 8 percent of those New Yorkers succumbed to the disease. Adjust that ratio for 2020 and the death count would approach 675,000 (in NYC alone).

Yellow fever is described by the World Health Organization as “an acute viral hemorrhagic disease transmitted by infected mosquitoes.” It can incubate in your body for up to 6 days but is often asymptomatic. If symptoms do arise, mild to moderate cases last for three or four days and present with:

--Fever
--Headache
--Nausea
--Vomiting
--Muscle pain (usually a backache)
--Decreased appetite

For some patients, there is a secondary toxic phase that occurs very shortly after they recover from the above symptoms. This phase typically commences with a return of the high fever but things quickly escalate from there, e.g:

--Kidney damage
--Liver problems
--Jaundice (the yellowing of skin and eyes is where this disease gets its name)
--Abdominal pain
--Dark urine
--Steady and extreme vomiting
--Internal bleeding
--Bleeding from the mouth, nose, or eyes


Roughly 50 percent of those who enter the toxic phase are dead within a week.

(Sound familiar?)

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