How did The Black Death affect Romeo and Juliet?

Romeo and Juliet is believed to be set between late 1591 and early 1592. The earliest documented cases of The Black Death were recorded in Asia Minor between October 1347 and January 1348. In fact, many scholars point to the fact that Shakespeare specifically did not mention this devastating catastrophe that killed as many as 75% of most affected areas between Europe, North Africa, and Western Asia from circa 1347 to 1351 because it had long ended when his story took place.