Londoners Used Death Data to Survive Plague, Study Finds
New research by the University of Portsmouth reveals that during the Great Plague of 1665, Londoners used published death figures to make daily, life or death decisions, reshaping how governments managed public health and personal freedom for the first time.
Drawing on the famous diary of Samuel Pepys, the study shows how weekly death reports known as the 'Bills of Mortality' acted as an early form of public health data. Far from being dry statistics, these figures influenced where people went, who they met, and whether they stayed in the city or fled. They also helped justify unprecedented government actions, including quarantine, travel restrictions and the suspension of everyday liberties.
https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/news/new-research-shows-how-londoners-used-death-data-to-survive-the-plague
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