When I started reading “Pandemic” I was skeptical about whether it could teach me anything new, I’ve treated patients with Malaria, HIV, Brucella and Leishmania (although I have yet to encounter Cholera) and many more exotic pathogens, but was pleasantly surprised at how much there is to be gleamed from this short yet dense book. “Outbreaks are inevitable, but pandemics are optional”, this may seem like an odd proposition, but throughout her book, Shah shows how it is human agency and institutions that help spread disease and what’s worse, often prevent proper treatment. In 1918 the Spanish flu killed 50 […]