The recent pandemic was such a world changing event which altered all our lives, but I think so many of us were left reeling as it happened so fast and we all had to scramble to understand what was going on. So it's invaluable to read the inside perspective of someone who is an expert on infectious diseases and who was one of the first people to hear about this mysterious new respiratory disease in China. Jeremy Farrar traces the history of this pandemic from the first outbreak, explains the nature of the disease and why a failure to properly contain and report on it helped it to spread across the globe. The title refers not only to spikes in infections as the disease was traced through different countries, but also the spike protein found on the surface of Covid-19 virus cells which aids it in invading the body. Not only does he give an inside perspective on the medical channels across the globe which sought to understand it and rapidly develop a vaccine, but as a member of the SAGE emergency committee he gives an invaluable perspective on the UK's uneven plan for dealing with this outbreak.
It's sobering to think how the pandemic could have been responded to so much better, but also terrifying to realise it could have been so much worse if it weren't for the valiant efforts of certain scientists, leaders and medical professionals! Farrar highlights some of the real heroes, but also politicians who failed to act on the best advice or actively lied to the public at different points: “Ministers were not following the science even if they said they were.” The author doesn't mince his words in condemning Boris Johnson and his cabinet for their arrogance, incompetence and lack of planning which led to unnecessary deaths and societal chaos. It's pointed out how the idea of “herd immunity” is a dangerous notion without any basis in scientific fact. He also humbly admits how a lack of information led him to hesitate at certain points when he should have acted more forcefully. Understandably, he also seriously considered the possibility of certain conspiracies such as the theory that the disease was created in a lab and accidentally released – a notion which has now been judged to be absolutely false. Farrar describes the heart racing stress at certain points of not only realising the seriousness of this highly infectious disease, but knowing how improper government handling was going to lead to it spreading more and causing many more deaths.
The book concludes with some sensible advice about the way in which governing bodies and scientific cooperation across the globe can help prepare us for future pandemics and prevent them from being as destructive as Covid-19. There are many financial and political challenges which will make following these steps difficult, but it's vital to address these issues. It felt somewhat triggering to mentally return to this tense time period. However, I think this book gives an essential understanding of the pandemic which we can learn a lot from as well as standing as an invaluable document to historically catalogue what actually happened.
