Navigeren door de complexiteit van de coronapandemie: Perspectieven vanuit de historische demografie

In this contribution, we discuss from the perspective of historical demography how the corona pandemic has led to new research themes and different approaches to existing themes. Examples include the effect of pandemics on social inequalities in mortality and fertility in the short as well as the long run. The corona pandemic has given historical-demographic research additional legitimacy as research into infectious diseases has suddenly attained heightened social relevance. Many publications have focused on the Spanish Flu, overshadowing research into other infectious diseases and causes of death, despite endemic diseases accounting for the majority of deaths in the past. In addition, more attention should be given to how cause-specific mortality data are registered and produced. We argue that historical-demographic research not only provides valuable insights into the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath but also underscores the need to continue expanding and deepening our knowledge of infectious diseases in the past and the present.