Plague Ships
8 hours ago
- #pandemic-lessons
- #quarantine-history
- #plague-ships
- Yellow flag historically signals a healthy ship requesting pratique, though yellow used to symbolize disease.
- The Black Death entered Europe in 1347 via infected ships from Black Sea ports, killing millions.
- Quarantine practices date to 1377 in Dubrovnik (30-day wait) and 1423 in Venice (40-day isolation).
- The 1918 Spanish flu originated in Kansas, not Spain, and was spread globally by troop movements.
- Governments ignored social distancing during the 1918 pandemic to avoid hindering war efforts.
- Historical parallels highlight failures in modern pandemic responses, such as the Ruby Princess incident.