ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has unleashed positive and negative aspects of human behaviour. From the Black Death to H1N1, this chapter explores the history of pandemics and how much of the impact and experience of COVID-19 is not new. As the Spanish philosopher George Santayna wrote, “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. As we take this journey, judge for yourselves as to whether the world has learned the lessons of the past.
