How Does This Compare?

[Caran]

The Great Plague of 1665 with Covid-19. Did they have lockdowns then?
They surely didn't have masks. How did they cope?

[JimF]

Basically, they didn't cope. They had no means of combating the plague because they didn't understand it or how it was spreading. The plague died out when there was, essentially, nobody left for it to infect. Same as in 1347.

[Ken4155]

More of a lock out than lock down. They quarantined ships coming in to ports in England and prevented ships entering the Thames Estuary.

[Buenchico]

>>> Did they have lockdowns then?

Eyam, in Derbyshire, is famous for its lockdown:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35064071

However they certainly weren't alone. The estate I live on is called the chainhouse estate, which takes its name from the chain which was placed across the road to bar entry and exit from our town during the time of the plague. I'm sure that there will have been other instances of similar lockdowns elsewhere in the country.

[Theland]

That's interesting Chico.
So often, local history is far more gripping and interesting.

[Buenchico]

>>> They had no means of combating the plague because they didn't understand it or how it was spreading

While, obviously, nobody in those days understood epidemiology, there was clearly an understanding among at least some people that the plague could be spread through the movement of people.

[jno]

Caran, doctors wore masks

https://www.planetfigure.com/attachments/image-png.370785/

They look a bit odd, but the "beaks" contained burning herbs that were supposed to keep the wearer from inhaling "germs" (they didn't actually know about germs then but they did think the illness might be caused by evil air). And completely covered from head to foot.

[Mozz71]

100,000 died in London alone. If they did deal with it, they didn't do it too well.

[fiction-factory]

The London deaths figure of 100,000 was over 20% of the population.
Based on a population of 9 million now that's equivalent to approaching 2 million people now.
Teacake would have had a field day on AB in 1665