The American Society of Newspaper Editors canceled its April convention, explaining that “the challenges editors face at their newspapers demand their full attention.”

It seems likely that the event would have proven gloomy. One imagines wooden carts creaking down hotel hallways while hooded figures call “Bring out your dead,” like a scene from the 14th century. But the plague spared 60 to 70 percent of Europe’s population; newspapers would be grateful for that survival rate.

As does much of history, the plague looks different when taken in perspective, which is another way of saying “as long as you weren’t stuck in the middle …