Over the last 30 years we learned nearly every lesson needed to stop this coronavirus outbreak in its tracks-- and we heeded almost none of them. The result is a pandemic on a scale never before seen in our lifetimes. MacKenzie lays out the full story of the previous viruses that should have prepared us, the shocking public health failures that paved the way, the failure to contain the outbreak, and most importantly, what we must do to prevent future pandemics. -- adapted from jacket.

Revised and expanded.

A note on the virus -- Could we have stopped this whole thing at the start? -- What are these emerging diseases, and why are they emerging? -- SARS, MERS -- you can't say we weren't warned -- Don't blame the bats -- Wasn't the pandemic supposed to be flu? -- So what do we do about disease? -- Things fall apart -- The pandemic that never should have happened -- and how to stop the next one.