History as a tool to learn to deal with epidemics

March 2020

The Covid-19 is not the first epidemic disease that has put the global population under a state of siege. To learn to deal with this crisis, History can be our best ally to minimize related implications and counterbalance potential outcomes and its aftermath.

With that in mind we have gathered a selection of articles and useful links on epidemic diseases that may be helpful in dealing with this crisis.

Source: The Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center

Read in HCS-Manguinhos blog:

Covid-19 and Globalization Epidemics

“The terrible epidemic we are experiencing is evidence not only of the economic, social and environmental forces that neoliberalism unleashed, but also of its inability to build an inclusive future”, affirms Marcos Cueto, science editor of HCS-Manguinhos and author of works on epidemics.

The Brazilian Unified Health System and Coronavirus

The Sistema Unico de Saude (SUS) will be decisive against Coronavirus in Brazil. To understand how the system was created and its rationale read our selected article by two Historians from Casa de Oswaldo Cruz/FIOCRUZ.

Coronavírus y la gripe de 1918-19: paralelos históricos

Para María Isabel Porras Gallo no bastan recursos médicos y tecnológicos eficaces. “Es imprescindible la existencia de mínimas condiciones higiénico-sanitarias, económicas y sociales”.

Coronavirus despierta interés por la historia de las epidemias

Con el mundo en estado de alerta para evitar la diseminación del coronavirus, acceda a una selección de nuestras publicaciones sobre el tema.

Read in HCS-Manguinhos and Varia Historia:

Almeida, Maria Antónia Pires de. “A epidemia de cólera de 1853-1856 na imprensa portuguesa.” Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Dez 2011, vol.18, no.4 


Alvarez, Adriana et al. “A gripe de longe e de perto: comparações entre as pandemias de 1918 e 2009.” Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Dez 2009, vol.16, no.4


Bueno, Flávia Thedim Costa et al. “Zika e Aedes aegypti: antigos e novos desafios.” Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Out 2017, vol.24, no.4

Carbonetti, Adrián & Rodríguez, María Laura. “Las epidemias de cólera en Córdoba a través del periodismo: la oferta de productos preservativos y curativos durante la epidemia de 1867-1868.” Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Jun 2007, vol.14, no.2 

Caponi, Sandra. “Lo público y lo privado en tiempos de peste.” Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Jun 1999, vol.6, no.1 

Cueto, Marcos. “La ‘cultura de la sobrevivencia’ y la salud pública internacional en América Latina: la Guerra Fría y la erradicación de enfermedades a mediados del siglo XX.” Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Mar 2015, vol.22, no.1 

Goulart, Adriana da Costa. “Revisitando a espanhola: a gripe pandêmica de 1918 no Rio de Janeiro.” Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Abr 2005, vol.12, no.1 

Kühn, Fábio & Brizola, Jaqueline Hasan. “Entre vacinas, doenças e resistências: os impactos de uma epidemia de varíola em Porto Alegre no século XIX.” Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Abr 2019, vol.26, no.2 

Martins, Valter. “Cidade-laboratório: Campinas e a febre amarela na aurora republicana.” Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Jun 2015, vol.22, no.2 

Porras Gallo, María Isabel. (2009). Renovación y reorganización profesional en tiempo de crisis, farmacéuticos y veterinarios durante la gripe de 1918-1919 en España. Varia Historia, July/Dec. 2009, vol.25 no.42

Souza, Christiane Maria Cruz de. “A epidemia de gripe espanhola: um desafio à medicina baiana.” Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Dez 2008, vol.15, no.4, 

Testa, Daniela Edelvis. “Curing by doing: la poliomielitis y el surgimiento de la terapia ocupacional en Argentina, 1956-1959.” Hist. cienc. saude-Manguinhos, Dic 2013, vol.20, no.4

Useful links:

Have access to the Coronavirus COVID-19 Resource Center at Johns Hopkins University here.

Lea Miradas sobre el Covid-19 desde la salud colectiva (Argentina).

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