How the Black Death and Covid-19 are linked

A genetic mutation that spread thanks to the Black Death in the Middle Ages, could help its carriers today fight off respiratory diseases, including Covid-19. — AFP

The Black Death epidemic, which caused millions of deaths in the mid-14th century, is believed to have resulted in a genetic mutation that helped survivors fight off this bacterial disease.

According to a recent British study, this genetic variation is still present in some people today.