Covid-19

The book aims to help us make sense of this consequential period of our shared history. It touches on many large themes—from ethics and equity to preparedness and trust. The goal is for it to become a valuable record of what happened globally, and a tool to foster reflection on what to do (and not do) to prevent and respond to the next pandemic. In some sense, Covid itself is the central protagonist, and the broad arc follows the natural trajectory of the pandemic: outbreak, variants,
vaccines, breakthrough infections, late surges, and the aftermath.

A central narrative tension of the book is: How will the individuals featured in the book navigate this pandemic, and at what cost? In this way, they serve as stand-ins for anyone who has ever had to manage a crisis. But there is also an intellectual tension that runs throughout, a mystery that each individual will help readers try to solve: Why did some actions, in some places and periods, achieve comparative success in managing the pandemic, while others did not? (And the corollary: What can we learn from their experiences that will help us in the future?)

The people who bore the most responsibility for trying to save our lives worked tirelessly, made sacrifices and did their best, even as they made mistakes and were sometimes villainized. In some respects, the pandemic underlined humankind’s essential selfishness and short sightedness. At the same time, individuals and institutions made positive differences through hard work, creativity, ambition and solidarity, even if opposing forces blunted their achievements and drove inequities. An important objective of the book is to bear witness to the work of these responders.