Decoding the Pandemic

Why did some people develop neurological cardiovascular or gastrointestinal symptoms while the infection was confined to the respiratory system in others? Why did elderly people with multiple risk factors weather it with only minor symptoms? This brilliantly written book fishes for clues in multitudes of data about race and ethnicity health conditions test results and potential exposure to the virus and articulates questions as to why some people succumbed to SARS-CoV-2 while others infected with the virus experienced no symptoms. Staying above the trivia and conspiracy theories the book takes a long view at COVID-19. It draws a parallel with the Spanish Flu of 1918 and various other endemics that the world has seen and points out that pandemics can only be prevented by putting in place robust surveillance systems for early detection of viruses jumping from animals to human beings and by developing new antiviral drugs. COVID-19 vaccines are celebrated as saviours and the only differentiating factor that prevented deaths of the scale of the Spanish Flu pandemic. A must-read for anyone who believes in the benevolence of nature and the power of science to protect humanity from any long-term harm this book delivers a message of hope and confidence. It also celebrates the scientists and introduces them to the readers as warriors of life! If you are looking for a book that profiles the COVID-19 pandemic through an incisive and authentic analysis that blends perspectives from biology medicine public health history politics ecology and economics while lacing it with literary flair and profound philosophical reflections this is the one that you should be reaching out for. Reading this will help us identify the path we must now create if we have to avoid the catastrophic consequences of future pandemics. - K. Srinath Reddy MD President Public Health Foundation of India