Sarah Yeomans – Professor and Archeologist - What historical pandemics can teach us about our present crisis

Archaeologist and researcher, Sarah Yeomans, talks to us about what ancient plagues and epidemics have to teach us about Covid-19. This talk is about "perspective and hope, we’re more well-positioned to deal with this current crisis than any other humans in history." Sarah takes us through the Antonine Plague, the Justinian Plague, The black plague "the worst we’ve ever seen," The Spanish Flu (a bird and a pig and loosey goosey RNA). She debunks conspiracy theories and talks about wet markets, the clash of disparate ecosystems and secondary consequences: the human reaction to the disease. Sarah asserts that at the end of any collective trauma there is a window of opportunity for real change. What might that change look like?

The Q&A portion has been edited for time and clarity.

Sarah offers some additional reading: https://www.livescience.com/worst-epidemics-and-pandemics-in-history.html

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/were-not-facing-second-spanish-flu/607354/

Here's what's coming up on Hearthside Salons.