Introduction:

The COVID-19 epidemic has revealed a series of inequality problems in the access to public health services in Peru, especially in provinces far from the capital where precariousness in both infrastructure and sanitary personnel is observed. In this study, we analyzed how the population and authorities in southern Peru faced epidemics, using COVID-19 epidemic and bubonic plague in 1903 and 1905 as case studies to understand continuities in the management of epidemic crises and social response to them.

Development:

We studied the bubonic plague epidemic in the cities of Arequipa and Mollendo in 1903 and 1905 as well as the COVID-19 epidemic, focusing on the functioning of local and national health systems, health infrastructure available to face epidemics, and finally, the social response of the population, paying particular attention to the skepticism of the population toward measures imposed by the authorities and increase in self-medication.

Conclusions:

The COVID-19 epidemic in southern Peru presents important similarities with the bubonic plague epidemic that affected the region at the beginning of the 20th century, including a disorder of responsibilities, lack of foresight to face epidemic diseases, insufficient infrastructure, and a population with a high degree of distrust in the recommendations given by the civil and health authorities.

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