Pandemics Through the Ages: History, Impacts, and a Literary Review of Mirza Hamid Baig’s Novel “Corona Nama”

Abstract

This article explores the historical trajectory of pandemics, tracing their origins from ancient civilizations to the modern era. Starting from the Plague of Athens (430 BCE) and moving through the Black Death of the Middle Ages, the Smallpox outbreaks of the Mughal era, and the Spanish Flu of 1918, the study highlights how infectious diseases have consistently reshaped human societies. The discourse categorizes the primary causes of these outbreaks into environmental pollution, zoonotic transmission, and human negligence. Furthermore, the article analyzes the profound socio-economic and psychological impacts of pandemics, emphasizing how they breed isolation, economic instability, and existential dread. A significant portion of the study is dedicated to a literary review of Mirza Hamid Baig’s Urdu novel, **"Corona Nama"**. The novel is examined as a "psychological elegy" of the COVID-19 era, capturing the transformation of human relationships, the erosion of social fabric, and the fragility of human pride in the face of a microscopic pathogen. Through selected excerpts, the study illustrates how Baig masterfully portrays the shift from physical illness to psychological trauma.