Eric Schneider
@ericbschneider.bsky.social
Professor of Economic History at LSE studying health, demography, living standards and economic growth; working on global historical child stunting.
Website: www.ericbschneider.com
Website: www.ericbschneider.com
Why the such different CFRs?
In endemic settings like Sweden, smallpox was a childhood disease and adults very rarely contracted smallpox.
But in Iceland, the epidemic struck a population where both adults and children were susceptible. This raised the CFR dramatically.
3/6
In endemic settings like Sweden, smallpox was a childhood disease and adults very rarely contracted smallpox.
But in Iceland, the epidemic struck a population where both adults and children were susceptible. This raised the CFR dramatically.
3/6
May 13, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Why the such different CFRs?
In endemic settings like Sweden, smallpox was a childhood disease and adults very rarely contracted smallpox.
But in Iceland, the epidemic struck a population where both adults and children were susceptible. This raised the CFR dramatically.
3/6
In endemic settings like Sweden, smallpox was a childhood disease and adults very rarely contracted smallpox.
But in Iceland, the epidemic struck a population where both adults and children were susceptible. This raised the CFR dramatically.
3/6
📜 NEW WORKING PAPER 📜
What was the true case fatality rate (CFR) of smallpox?
My new paper with Romola Davenport (Cambridge) revisits this question using 18th-century data from Sweden and Iceland—and challenges the long-held belief that smallpox CFRs were 20–30%.
🧵👇
1/6
What was the true case fatality rate (CFR) of smallpox?
My new paper with Romola Davenport (Cambridge) revisits this question using 18th-century data from Sweden and Iceland—and challenges the long-held belief that smallpox CFRs were 20–30%.
🧵👇
1/6
May 13, 2025 at 7:25 PM
📜 NEW WORKING PAPER 📜
What was the true case fatality rate (CFR) of smallpox?
My new paper with Romola Davenport (Cambridge) revisits this question using 18th-century data from Sweden and Iceland—and challenges the long-held belief that smallpox CFRs were 20–30%.
🧵👇
1/6
What was the true case fatality rate (CFR) of smallpox?
My new paper with Romola Davenport (Cambridge) revisits this question using 18th-century data from Sweden and Iceland—and challenges the long-held belief that smallpox CFRs were 20–30%.
🧵👇
1/6
However, this North-South dichotomy may
underemphasise the variation in the health transition within the Global South. For instance, mortality and child stunting decline in the Caribbean began far earlier than in countries with similar levels of income in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
underemphasise the variation in the health transition within the Global South. For instance, mortality and child stunting decline in the Caribbean began far earlier than in countries with similar levels of income in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
December 12, 2024 at 12:25 AM
However, this North-South dichotomy may
underemphasise the variation in the health transition within the Global South. For instance, mortality and child stunting decline in the Caribbean began far earlier than in countries with similar levels of income in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
underemphasise the variation in the health transition within the Global South. For instance, mortality and child stunting decline in the Caribbean began far earlier than in countries with similar levels of income in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
CFP: Workshop on Health Transitions in the Global South
CFP Deadline 3 February 2025
Workshop 9-10 June 2025 at LSE
Organised by myself and Neil Cummins
Sponsored by the LSE Historical Economic Demography Group
CFP Deadline 3 February 2025
Workshop 9-10 June 2025 at LSE
Organised by myself and Neil Cummins
Sponsored by the LSE Historical Economic Demography Group
December 12, 2024 at 12:25 AM
CFP: Workshop on Health Transitions in the Global South
CFP Deadline 3 February 2025
Workshop 9-10 June 2025 at LSE
Organised by myself and Neil Cummins
Sponsored by the LSE Historical Economic Demography Group
CFP Deadline 3 February 2025
Workshop 9-10 June 2025 at LSE
Organised by myself and Neil Cummins
Sponsored by the LSE Historical Economic Demography Group
Always fun to be able to include a beautiful painting that captures the essence of what one is studying. I've always loved Monet's paintings of London.
November 19, 2024 at 4:14 PM
Always fun to be able to include a beautiful painting that captures the essence of what one is studying. I've always loved Monet's paintings of London.
I've been at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa today presenting new research. Thanks to Giuliana Freschi, Giacamo Gabbuti and Alessandro Nuvolari for inviting me. I use daily fog events in turn-of-the-century London to measure the short- and long-run health costs of pollution for children.
November 19, 2024 at 4:14 PM
I've been at the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna in Pisa today presenting new research. Thanks to Giuliana Freschi, Giacamo Gabbuti and Alessandro Nuvolari for inviting me. I use daily fog events in turn-of-the-century London to measure the short- and long-run health costs of pollution for children.
More zen for the skyline!
November 16, 2024 at 5:02 PM
More zen for the skyline!
Vaccination, introduced in 1802, changed the landscape. As smallpox prevalence dropped, fewer people contracted it as children. In addition, the immunity granted by vaccination waned with age, so by 1820, some pregnant women were susceptible to smallpox.
September 19, 2024 at 11:17 AM
Vaccination, introduced in 1802, changed the landscape. As smallpox prevalence dropped, fewer people contracted it as children. In addition, the immunity granted by vaccination waned with age, so by 1820, some pregnant women were susceptible to smallpox.
Child stunting has been declining since 1980, but earlier trends were unknown. With many co-authors, I reconstructed historical trends for 123 countries. Child stunting was a common experience for past populations with some countries like Japan having very high stunting rates.
October 19, 2023 at 9:38 PM
Child stunting has been declining since 1980, but earlier trends were unknown. With many co-authors, I reconstructed historical trends for 123 countries. Child stunting was a common experience for past populations with some countries like Japan having very high stunting rates.
Just getting started on here, but here's a VoxEU column about child stunting (a form of malnutrition) that summarises a longer review paper about the determinants of child stunting in long run and global perspective. One of the key figures is below.
cepr.org/voxeu/column...
cepr.org/voxeu/column...
September 20, 2023 at 3:42 PM
Just getting started on here, but here's a VoxEU column about child stunting (a form of malnutrition) that summarises a longer review paper about the determinants of child stunting in long run and global perspective. One of the key figures is below.
cepr.org/voxeu/column...
cepr.org/voxeu/column...