Samuel Pepys survived the Great Plague of 1665. He also saw the Great Fire of London in 1666. It destroyed 13,000 houses. We know lots about these two events from his diary.

Pepys wrote about the contemporary court and theatre (including his amorous affairs with the actresses), his household, and major political and social occurrences. Historians have been using his diary to gain greater insight and understanding of life in London in the 17th century.

Samuel Pepys kept a diary for almost ten years, from January 1660 to May 1669. It is considered one of the most important diaries in the English language, offering a detailed account of critical historic events but also an insight into daily life in 17th century London.

How did it end? The most popular theory of how the plague ended is through the implementation of quarantines. The uninfected would typically remain in their homes and only leave when it was necessary, while those who could afford to do so would leave the more densely populated areas and live in greater isolation.

Whilst thatched roofs remain popular in rural England it has long been regarded as a dangerous material in cities. London’s first building begulation, the ordinance of 1212, banned the use of thatch to try to avoid the rapid spread of fire from one building to another.

Unlike Europe’s disastrous bubonic plague epidemic, the plague is now curable in most cases. It can successfully be treated with antibiotics, and according to the CDC , treatment has lowered mortality rates to approximately 11 percent. The antibiotics work best if given within 24 hours of the first symptoms.

On June 5th, 1920, the City of Pensacola reported bubonic plague, the same plague that ravaged Europe for 4 centuries. This deadly disease played a role in early biological warfare; in 1346, the Tartars used plague-ridden corpses as projectiles to launch over the ramparts during the siege of Caffa.

Public health experts say that for life to get back to normal, the country needs to reach herd immunity. It’s not certain what percentage of the population needs to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to reach herd immunity. But many medical experts estimate that it’s 70% to 80%.

Scientists around the world have developed treatments and vaccines for the new coronavirus disease known as COVID-19. Several companies are working on antiviral drugs, some of which are already in use against other illnesses, to treat people who have COVID-19.

The influenza pandemic of 1918–19, also called the Spanish flu, lasted between one and two years. The pandemic occurred in three waves, though not simultaneously around the globe. In the Northern Hemisphere, the first wave originated in the spring of 1918, during World War I.

In 1918, there were no treatments for influenza and no antibiotics to treat complications such as pneumonia. Hospitals were quickly overwhelmed. There was no centrally imposed lockdown to curb the spread of infection, although many theatres, dance halls, cinemas and churches were closed, in some cases for months.