Managing and Preventing Pandemics Lessons From Covid-19

Using an evidence-based, critical, population health approach, this book provides a comprehensive analysis of the key errors in containing the Covid-19 pandemic, and the most effective interventions.  It also examines the root determinants of pandemic risk on a global scale, addressing the policy changes that should be implemented to prevent future health crises.

Part one of the book discusses errors in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing particularly on those countries who failed to limit their death toll. These errors included lack of preparation, disinformation, medicalization, a “laissez-faire the virus” approach and existing inequity. Part two analyses the vital actions that allowed “virtuous” countries to effectively limit the most lethal effects of the pandemic in terms of prevention, immunization and support.  Part three spotlight what can be done to prevent the next pandemic, examining the proximal social and environmental causes of pandemic risk (e.g. deforestation, urbanization and climate change) as well as the “causes of the causes” that include our model of global economic development and its philosophical and ideological principles.

Timely and insightful, this book will appeal to students, scholars and practitioners across Public Health, Epidemiology, Political Science and Climate Science.