An Account of COVID-19 from the Humanities
Pandemics are not new to the world. In the year 541 the first recorded pandemic began in the city of Pelusium, near present day Port Said in northeastern Egypt. Historian Procopius chronicled that the “pestilence” spread both west toward Alexandria and east toward Palestine. Then it kept on moving. In early 542, the plague struck Constantinople the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire ruled by formidable emperor Justinian, popularly regarded as “one of the greatest statesmen who ever lived”. As powerful as the ruler was, he could barely do anything to contain the spread. He funded the burials of the forsaken and the impoverished. But the number of deaths rose too high and eventually the bodies were ordered to be piled at the city’s outskirt. This plague posed other administrative challenges alongside. After 542, owing to tumbling economic condition of his kingdom the emperor struggled to recruit and retain soldiers. He could do little when the territories that his generals had conquered began to revolt. The plague spread to the city of Rome in 543 and made it to Britain by 544. The plague that increasingly began to be called as Justinian plague, broke out again in Constantinople in 558, a third time in 573, and yet again in 586. The plague is estimated to have killed between 30 and 50 million people — about half the world’s population at that time — as it spread across Asia, North Africa, Arabia, and Europe. It did not wane until 750. The world had considerably altered by this time, a robust new religion, Islam, had gained popularity. Its followers spread and ruled significant area of what was Justinian empire along with the Arabian Peninsula. Large part of Western Europe had come under the domination of the Franks. Rome had been reduced to about thirty thousand people. Would the world order have been different if Justinian plague had not struck? Could a microbe alter the course of economy, politics, social structure vehemently erected by the indomitable humans? How infallible is human being against nature’s ordain?
It is 21st century, COVD-19 has affected 26,56,680 and killed 1,85,192 individuals worldwide till mid-April 2020 since its appearance in December 2019. From the first pandemic till COVID-19, lots have changed — empires are replaced by nations, humans across the globe are interconnected, global organisations, medical and technological advancements, informed society are markers of this age that is popularly called the age of globalization. Yet virus COVID-19 has been successful in doing what bacterium Yersinia pestis of Justinian plague had done — thrown human society into panic!
Pathogens and pandemics are ostensibly of interests to biologists and biomedical practitioners. Nevertheless, because they are events of human crisis, they are and ought to be of equal importance to humanities as well. The literary and art world is abundant with poignant accounts of human suffering, loss and pain. Cultural and Critical theories show us how vulnerability, potential carriers and germs have been constructed and regulated through specific thought process. The premises of bioethics have enabled discussion about disease environment, condition, exclusion and accessibility of medical aid and health care. Besides, reasoning and critical thinking are at the heart of framing policies and long-term goals to avert large scale damages. So, what is the role of humanities in the present moment? To me, these are the most valuable part it can play:
Language of construction
On both global and national facade, we are encountering the questions — Who is the offender? Who is the victim? We are bearing the brunt of whose irresponsibility? Most nations would like China to own up the virus! In India certain religious congregations were accused of wilfully spreading the disease. These premises must be closely thought about. The idea of the “offender” and “victim” must not be simplistically constructed based on one’s convenience. When the British arrived in India, they enumerated certain tribes as criminal or “thugs”. These communities have not been able to detach themselves from the sully ever since.
How humane are human
Numerous reports of abuse and humiliation of the people from northeast India have surfaced; from being taunted as “coronavirus” to being spat on, to being refused essential goods in supermarket, the northeasterners have not had it easy from the time the virus broke out. Racial supremacy attitude against fellow citizens or any other human is a blemish on the entire human civilization. Humanities must repeatedly endeavour to cleanse this. On the other hand, the plight of migrant workers has rattled the national conscience. Stories of many dying of hunger, some covering thousands of kilometres on foot to reach their homes, others stuck up with several others in tiny shelters barely with the basic necessities; have made us ponder how disposable we think the underprivileged among us are!
Road map for future
The only good news that was heard after the virus broke out was that “the earth is healing”. With vehicles off the roads, flights and trains halting services, industries slowing down, humans mostly being inside homes, in short all modern amenities of human civilization taking a backseat, the land, water and air of the earth have slowly began to get purer. News of animals and birds reclaiming their original space have taken the world by surprise, compelling us to rethink human’s position as “nurturer” or “destroyer” of nature. But the bad news is despite the possible healing scientists say the impact of the coronavirus might not be enough to avert impending ecological disaster, such as a looming American megadrought, the rapidly melting of the polar ice caps and the disappearing coastlines. Humans must make conscious and concrete measures towards reversing the damages done to the earth.
2020 will be recorded as a significant year in history and we unintentionally are part of this history making. Just like the Justinian plague, when a historian chronicles COVID-19 or an economist talks about the way we handled the crisis or an artist recreates the time period we must present a picture of resilience, of compassion and empathy. We must illustrate what humanity entails!