“The Pandemic That's Coming, and Why We Keep Forgetting”
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Title: The Big One
Author: Michael T. Osterholm & Mark Olshaker
Category: Culture & Society, Health, Food & Nutrition
What if the next pandemic isn't a question of if, but when — and we're still not ready? Sam and Sophie open Michael Osterholm and Mark Olshaker's The Big One with exactly that uncomfortable premise.
The episode walks through the five converging forces that make a catastrophic outbreak likely: population density and air travel, habitat encroachment, industrialized agriculture, climate-shifted disease vectors, and antimicrobial resistance. It then turns to influenza and the 1918 flu's three waves, the coronavirus warnings that preceded COVID, and the bioterror risk from gene editing. The authors' six-part preparedness agenda — from public health funding to faster vaccine platforms — gets a full airing.
If you've ever felt pandemic fatigue or wondered why COVID felt like a warning shot, this one's for you. The takeaway: preparation is expensive, but the cost of complacency is far higher.
The Big One by Michael T. Osterholm and Mark Olshaker. For the full written summary, head to 7minutebooks.com/app — over 6,000 titles you can read or listen to in any language, with infographics on many, from $2.99 a month, $9.99 a year, or $19.99 lifetime.
Chapters
00:00The Title And The Warning01:14Five Forces Of A Perfect Storm02:27Influenza, 1918, And Coronavirus03:40Bioterror And COVID Failures05:03Six Steps To Preparedness07:08Mindset Shift And Final Takeaway
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