How England first managed a national infection crisis: Implementation of the Plague Orders of 1578 compared with COVID-19 Lockdown March to May 2020

Plague Markings: Doors and Disease

“…By choosing this as the focus, this paper also situates its discussion within historic analyses of the plague and protective markings. It builds upon existing accounts which explore historical practices of quarantine and different cultural understandings of the plague and the ways in which efforts to control the disease were imbedded in different social practices 12 -from the construction of quarantine stations or Lazarettos 13 , to the use of long poles fastened to houses to designate quarantine zones 14 . More specifically, it extends discussions by Turner 15 and Skemer 16 who provide detailed historical examples of different iterations of the cross and apotropaic symbols during the first and second plague outbreaks and how this shaped people's experiences and responses to periods of disease.…”