Covid-like Pandemic Existed 5000 Years Back

The world is yet suffering from one of the worst Pandemic of the 21st century, in the form of Covid-19. So far, the Pandemic has taken the lives of over 4 million people worldwide. However, the DNA analysis of the bones found from a pre-historic site has revealed the presence of a similar type of plague that existed around 5000 years ago.

Preliminary data, the Pandemic claimed several lives at that time, affecting the global population. The most affected were the Stone Age communities in western Europe.At that time, the population started to decline massively as more and more individuals got infected with that deadly plague, killing more people than those who managed to survive.

The researchers have examined that the DNA samples were recovered from 4 different individuals who were found to be infected with the plague and were then buried in a pre-historic rubbish tip at a spot in Latvia which is commonly called as Riukalns. The DNA samples have been collected and recovered from the bones of the teeth and skull, and the other remains, which were dated to be around 5000-5300 years old at present.

However, the researchers also are yet to find out the origin of that plague as well as the rate of transmission of the disease. In addition, the symptoms, medications, and treatments are also not identified. The rate of transmission points towards the frequency at which the virus spreads between the people of a particular area and how quickly it can spread worldwide.