William Matthews’s scientific contributions

... They note, however, that some of the mitigation efforts that are currently underway, particularly those affecting commerce and travel, are likely to amplify the virus's impact on economic activity." [37] The improved medical aids and technological innovations prove significant in monitoring the mortality rate. Catastrophic devastation due to pandemics in history provided insights and helped control potential epidemics to spread as pandemics across the globe. ...

Reference:

On societal response to pandemics: linking past experiences to present events

... Even though London was experiencing frequent outbreaks of the Plague, there was no previous knowledge about the COVID-19 virus before the outbreak. Regardless of the prior knowledge, both diseases have had high mortality rates, no cure or treatment hadn't been considered primarily supportive and emphasis was placed on prevention and reducing transmission [37]. Both the Plague and the COVID-19 pandemic caused huge destruction to the economy of the country where the disease had been spreading. ...

Reference:

Comparison between the 2020 Coronavirus-19 and the 1665 Great Plague of London