5.8 Chapter Summary
Key Summary Points
- There are a number of pandemics that have occurred throughout history. Some of the most devastating ones include the Black Death, Spanish Flu, HIV/AIDS, and COVID-19.
- Negative human responses are common across pandemics including: resistance to public health measures (e.g., anti-masking, anti-vaccination, anti-isolation); stereotyping and scapegoating; and misinformation campaigns.
- Pandemics have an array of social costs and implications, which include impacts on: vulnerable populations, social customs and practices (i.e., travel bans, funerals, dealing with bodies), and grief and depression felt throughout society.
Additional Resources
Below are a list of supplementary resources for students interested in learning more about the chapter topics. These resources are NOT required course materials. A list of required course materials, beyond those found throughout this chapter, are provided on the following page.
Additional Readings
Canada. (December 2022). Post-COVID condition in Canada: What we know, what we don’t know and a framework for action. Office of the Chief Science Advisor of Canada. https://science.gc.ca/site/science/en/office-chief-science-advisor/initiatives-covid-19/post-covid-19-condition-canada-what-we-know-what-we-dont-know-and-framework-action
Florencio, J. (November 27, 2018). AIDS: Homophobia and moralistic images of 1980s still haunt our view of HIV – That must change. TheConversation.com. https://theconversation.com/aids-homophobic-and-moralistic-images-of-1980s-still-haunt-our-view-of-hiv-that-must-change-106580
Huremović, D. (May 2019). Chapter 2 – Brief history of pandemics (pandemics throughout history). National Center for Biotechnology Information. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7123574/pdf/978-3-030-15346-5_Chapter_2.pdf
Jarus, O. (November 15, 2021). The worst epidemics and pandemics in history. Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/worst-epidemics-and-pandemics-in-history.html
Landau, M. (July 22, 2021). Vaccines are highly unlikely to cause side effects long after getting the shot. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/vaccines-are-highly-unlikely-to-cause-side-effects-long-after-getting-the-shot-
McDonald, G. (July 15, 2020). 5 advances that followed pandemics. History. https://www.history.com/news/pandemics-advances
Miller, B. (November 2, 2020). Science denial and COVID conspiracy theories. JAMA Network. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2772693
Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). (n.d.). Debunking immunization myths. https://www.paho.org/en/topics/immunization/debunking-immunization-myths
Piret, J. & Boivin, G. (2021). Pandemics throughout history. Frontiers in Microbiology, 11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7874133/pdf/fmicb-11-631736.pdf
Wallace-Wells, D. (March 4, 2025). How COVID remade America. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/03/04/opinion/covid-impact-five-years-later.html