The Coronavirus pandemic has already had a major impact, in Britain and around the world. The question though is what kinds of long term impact might it have? History is our best guide here. How similar is this to previous global pandemics? How did we react in the past and how should that inform what we do now?

Dr Steve Davies, Economic Historian, considers previous global pandemics and the impact they have had on society and the global economy. By examining past experiences we can attempt to answer key questions such as how long might this last, how bad might it get, how quickly will the economy recover and what might some of the lasting impacts be.