(Only an indirect connection to pandemics, but the section of the soccer stadium reserved for those suspected of typhus speaks to the social status theme.)
The respectable public: “Beast! Scoundrel! Assassin! Agrarian! Moron!”
The naive spectator: “Well now, this must be that striker they say has such a reputation!”
(Buen Humor, Madrid, 1931)
“Now I am trying a new treatment for the flu. It consists of giving them a bottle of cognac to drink in the morning and another bottle of rum in the afternoon.”
“And they get better?”
“No, sir. What they get is much happier.”
(Buen Humor, Madrid, 1931) (Compare this Finnish version.)
“And how did this little cutie get the name Agrippina?”
“Because I was born in the year of the grippe [flu].”
(Buen Humor, Madrid, 1927)
“But don’t you know that you can’t come in here with a short haircut?”
“I can if I’ve had typhus.”
(Buen Humor, Madrid, 1926)
“Tell me, doctor, why does water make noise when falling into fire?”
“Microbes that shriek when burned!”
(Buen Humor, Madrid, 1925)
“What do you mean, you want to force me to quarantine at the Spanish border?”
“Your majesty will pardon us, Sire, we are only carrying out your orders. You have imposed a quarantine on all travelers coming from countries infested by cholera or plague…”
“Well!”
“But, Sire, your Majesty is coming from France and could bring us the republic.”
(Le Triboulet, Paris, 1883)
“Arriba, doctor! No matter what it costs, the first jar of vaccine to go on sale, I’ll keep it.”
(La Campana de Gracia, Barcelona, 1921) (Clearly I need more context for this one.)
“This is outrageous! It’s reached forty degrees!”
“Don’t be surprised; it’s the typhoid fever.”
(El Mentidero, Madrid, 1915)
“How old do you think I am, Gedeón?”
“You bear it on your arm. Six shots… thirty-six years old! And pardon me for saying so.”
(Gedeón, Madrid, 1909)
“My God, doctor! Are you going to cut something?”
“Yes, señores. I’m going to cut the fever!”
(Buen Humor, Madrid, 1923)
The angel of death on public transportation.
(Buen Humor, Madrid, 1922)
“So you had the measles? I had it too, and by the way it was very serious.”
“Mine was much more serious. I had it on vacation!”
(Gutiérrez, Madrid, 1928)
“Do you know that Lolita has declared herself…?” [i.e., she has been spoken for?]
“At last…! Who?”
“No one, gals, it was measles that declared itself three days ago.”
(Buen humor, Madrid, 1923) (shaky on the idiom)
Since Maura gives us that veal, we will have to increase the vaccine with faith to combat Catalan smallpox…
(Gedeón, Madrid, 1909) (Correction welcome!)
“Hey, gorgeous, are you vaccinated?”
“And what do you care?”
“I’m just warning you that there is a crazy lot of smallpox out there.”
“So what?”
“Come on, take a shot… you should come with me.”
(Madrid cómico, 1896) (shaky with the idiom here)
Sic Transit Pestilentia 