Historical Epidemics and the Effects of COVID-19 Restrictions on Human Health

Abstract

In historical and prehistoric times, various pathogens from human origin or from animals to humans have affected millions of people as diseases such as plague, smallpox, and tularemia. It is known that epidemic diseases played a role in the historical records on the way to the collapse of the Hittite state. There are many records of epidemics in ancient Greek and Roman states. Geographical discoveries have opened up new opportunities for the spread of diseases. The corona virus epidemic, which emerged in China at the end of 2019 and spread from there to the whole world, was named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization. It causes problems in many parts of the body in addition to the respiratory tract. COVID-19 has become the biggest epidemic of recent years, affecting millions of people. Restrictions against COVID-19 have raised concerns about health problems in people as well as economy. Psychological problems, anxiety and sleep disorders related to decreased sociality have been reported in many studies. Possible problems due to inactivity are areas where more data can be revealed in the future. The purpose of this review is to gather historical information on past outbreaks and present some of the selected effects of the current Covid-19 outbreak on human health.