You don’t need to be a scientist to be enthralled by Epidemic. But many will be because the story of the scientific and public health community’s response will inform steps taken in the future to first discover and then combat every potential public health emergency. Reid Wilson also explores the political reactions to this crisis, which by turns were measured and unhinged. In politics doing the right thing is sometimes most difficult when everyone is watching. Epidemic tells that story briskly and brilliantly.—Major Garrett, White House Correspondent for CBS News and National Journal
In this day and age, it’s rare we take a breath and examine anything very thoroughly. And when it comes to resolving a crisis or looking at recent or just finished events, this lack of reflection can actually cause us more problems down the road. The beauty of Epidemic is how well Reid Wilson captures the urgency of the moment regarding the Ebola outbreak, not just as a tenacious detail-oriented journalist, but with the insight of an incredibly astute political and public affairs analyst. The lessons learned from how the world handled the Ebola outbreak won’t just help us tackle the next global health crisis but explain how we navigate the challenges that come from rapid globalization overall.—Chuck Todd, Moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press and political director, NBC News
Wilson’s Epidemic has the narrative pace of a thriller, with the incisive questions that everyone should be asking in the wake of the Ebola epidemic: What does it mean to be prepared? Who is responsible? How do we stay motivated amid a world in crisis? By shedding light on the world’s response, Wilson forces us not only to ask, but answer these questions before it’s too late.—Prabhjot Singh, Director, Arnhold Institute for Global Health, and Chair, Department of Health System Design and Global Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Health System
An important cautionary book that is also oddly exhilarating. At a time when Americans are bombarded with nativism, it's refreshing to read about American volunteers who came through in a crisis affecting some of the poorest nations in the world.—Kirkus Reviews
This is a thrilling read for anyone interested in international affairs, not merely scientists and those in public health.—CHOICE
The 2013 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed at least 11,000 people, mostly in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. As this excellent book show, the international health community was woefully unprepared to address the epidemic. . . Much of the action in Wilson's book takes place in the United States, where the Obama administration led the effort to better understand and contain the epidemic. He also shows how nongovernmental organizations, such as Doctors Without Borders, played key roles on the ground in West Africa. Wilson offers many lessons to help everyone involved prepare for the inevitable next outbreak.—Nicolas van de Walle, Foreign Affairs
2017-12-05
A veteran journalist's chronicle of the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which struck more than 28,000 people and killed 11,310.Wilson, a national correspondent at the Hill, notes that the Ebola virus was discovered in 1976 in Zaire. Though it caused sporadic and frighteningly lethal outbreaks, it did not sound global alarms except to experts who saw the potential should the virus strike densely populated areas. This is what happened in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. Since officials in these countries had not encountered the virus before, there were many initial misdiagnoses. Furthermore, these countries have poor health care systems, few providers or ambulances, and all but impassable roads. Now add in the cultural practice of washing the dead before burial, and it's no wonder that infections spiked. It did not help that the World Health Organization also delayed action. Thankfully, Doctors without Borders, Samaritan's Purse, and a few other groups were there, and they would be joined by other international but largely American agencies. The author's stories of the first victims make for grim reading, but the narrative picks up with U.S. funding for resources and the deployment of thousands of CDC providers working in clinics and Army soldiers building treatment units. Several NGOs also worked with local leaders to organize burial teams, proving that education and building trust can overcome fear. Back in the U.S., Barack Obama faced congressional pressure to ban West African flights and physically quarantine returnees. His critical move was to appoint an "Ebola czar," who coordinated efforts and staved off counterproductive measures. Wilson concludes with some hope for Ebola treatments but also reports of infection aftereffects and the massive damage to West Africa's economy. More importantly, he points out how the world remains woefully unprepared for the next unavoidable epidemic.An important cautionary book that is also oddly exhilarating. At a time when Americans are bombarded with nativism, it's refreshing to read about American volunteers who came through in a crisis affecting some of the poorest nations in the world.
