THE CONTAGION NEXT TIME

Sandro Galea's analysis of the Covid-19 pandemic is a public health call to action, and narrator Roman Howell capably conveys this message. After each solemn chapter title announcement, Howell amps up the urgency as he describes the pandemic's effects on geography, politics, economics, racism, and history itself. Howell's narration reinforces Galea's tenet: Medicine and healthcare should never be considered a panacea for contagion. Rather, the U.S. must recognize that systemic social inequities persist and will be kindling for the next pandemic. Howell's delivery of Galea's illuminating stories is particularly effective--when reading a description of the 1816 wreck of the French ship MDUSE, for instance, he emphasizes the poor seafaring choices made and creates a link from a past disaster to the present one. E.S.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2022]