My first thoughts about the Middle Ages is I presume most doctors of that time didn’t understand the concept of bacterial and viral infections. Wasn’t this when the Black Plague killed all those Europeans. and kept killing until it was understood that rat feces were causing infections?
I may be confusing this with the Hanta virus.
Even still, scores of people died before the threat was fully over.
RE: Even still, scores of people died before the threat was fully over.
An understatement. MILLIONS of people died. It was one of the worst plagues in human history.
Germ theory, disease caused by microorganisms, wasn't understood or accepted until the late 19th century.
Not much more than 100 years ago.
No confusion there. Hanta virus is spread by rat feces or the dust thereof.