Uncontrolled Spread

Uncontrolled Spread

Adult nonfiction
"...We must be better prepared when another dangerous pathogen
inevitably emerges and threatens a global pandemic, but our purpose
shouldn't be simply to make sure we're better equipped to respond, but
to secure a greater assurance that a global contagion on the scale of
COVID can never happen again. Reflecting on where our response fell
short can provide a roadmap for how to be more effective when the next
virus emerges. And there will almost certainly be a next one, maybe
sooner than we care to believe."
When I saw Scott Gottlieb's Uncontrolled Spread: Why COVID-19
Crushed Us and How We Can Defeat the Next Pandemic I was so tempted to
not pick it up. Even though I was fully aware of new mutating strains
including a potential Deltacron wedding omicron's contagiousness with
delta's severity, I wasn't in the mood to dwell with a potentially
enjoyable summer on the way. You might also see this nearly 500 page
book as a literary Debbie Downer...
...But it's a must read. Ignorance is decidedly not bliss when
it comes to pathogens powerful enough to basically shut down the
world. Traditional news media with its if it leads it bleeds and
conflict sells stresses all the wrong stuff. And the Internet is the
wild, wild west.
Gottleib, in contrast, is a doctor who formerly was FDA
commissioner. He's had a bird's eye on the unfolding pandemic from
the very beginning. And he shows us some of the things that went very
wrong that slowed our nation's initial response, drastically boosting
the infection and death rates.
One problem was how long COVID was treating like a flu strain.
Remember how in 2020 we were preached at to sanitize all surfaces
religiously? Flu spreads in heavier droplets that stick to surfaces.
The flu analogy delayed our understanding of COVID's aerosol
transmission and the role of asymptomatic people in spreading it.
Another glitch delayed early testing in America that could have
shown the extent and locations. There were turf wars between
different agencies. Commercial firms with adequate production
capacities weren't brought into the picture soon enough.
And how about the paucity of and fighting over personal
protective equipment?
Even the fighting over stuff like masking is a lot more complex
than the media would have us believe.
Uncontrolled Spread is not an easy read. But if you want to
learn all that we were kept in the dark about and how we can better
prevent or at least ameliorate future pandemics consider it a must read.
On a purrrsonal note, here in Penobscot County, Maine we're seeing
signs of spring. Days are longer. Temps are climbing. Precipitation
is mostly rain. (We did have snow flurries Monday morning). Tobago
has more birds to watch. She's bird watching right now. (Jules).
That's what an indoor cat can do. Watch. (Tobago)
A great big shout out goes out to all who are working to contain this
pandemic, prevent the next one, and keep the public genuinely informed.
Tobago and Jules Hathaway




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