Pandemics bring out the crazies.
In 14th century Europe, the Black Plague brought out some crazy behavior that is reminiscent of the craziness we see today.
Flagellants believed that they knew a cure. Self-flagellation would show God that they were repentant and God would have pity on them and remove the plague. They marched through the streets of towns whipping themselves with sticks and straps, drawing blood.
Locals got caught up in the frenzy and joined them in the streets. As they went from town to town, they spread the plague with them.
The Church initially saw them as pious and encouraged them. But when people of the towns, and the flagellants themselves, began to see them as holy, they gained followers who thought that the Pope and Church no longer had God's favor, and they began charging into churches and throwing out priests to take over the mass themselves. The pope withdrew his support of them and ordered towns to close their gates and refuse admission to the flagellants. This was 200 years before the Reformation.
Today's covid miracle cures are Ivermectin, bleach, ultraviolet light inserted into the body, etc.
Some places decided that isolation of the sick would protect the healthy and boarded whole families inside their homes when a member got sick. They could not leave for food or water, and died of starvation.
Today's "solution" takes the opposite direction. Expose everyone and spread natural immunity, along with death.
Most malicious was the rumor that Jews had caused the plague by poisoning well water. Thousands of Jews were slaughtered. The pope issued orders for kings and princes to stop their people from committing these slaughters, pointing out that Jews were getting sick and dying, too. But some did nothing to stop the destruction of Jewish communities. People would not give up their fear and desire to blame someone.
Today, people beat up Asian Americans because covid originated in China and a former president called it the China virus.
After the plague subsided, surviving serfs and peasants refused to remain on the land of their overlords, as the law required them to. Why should they when they had faced the plague with their neighbors in unsanitary conditions while the lords fled to unaffected areas or stayed inside their walls, guarding their possessions while the common people died. Serfs and peasants left their assigned lands, took over empty businesses and tools, and set themselves up in business, charging what they could get due to the shortage of goods and services after so many had died. Or, they remained as tenant farmers, but went to work for whoever was willing to give them the best conditions, with some pay.
Today's front line workers are leaving low wage jobs for better ones, or are forming unions to demand better wages, conditions, and benefits.
Some things about human behavior just don't change, even centuries later.
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