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The Psychology of Pandemics: Preparing for the Next Global Outbreak of Infectious Disease
Pandemics are large-scale epidemics that spread throughout world. Virologists predict that the next pandemic could occur in the coming years, probably from some form of influenza, with potentially devastating consequences. Vaccinations, if available, and behavioral methods are vital for stemming the spread of infection. However, remarkably little attention has been devoted to the psychological factors that influence the spread of pandemic infection and the associated emotional distress and social disruption. Psychological factors are important for many reasons. They play a role in nonadherence to vaccination and hygiene programs, and play an important role in how people cope with the threat of infection and associated losses. Psychological factors are important for understanding and managing societal problems associated with pandemics, such as the spreading of excessive fear, stigmatization, and xenophobia that occur when people are threatened with infection. This book offers the first comprehensive analysis of the psychology of pandemics. It describes the psychological reactions to pandemics, including maladaptive behaviors, emotions, and defensive reactions, and reviews the psychological vulnerability factors that contribute to the spreading of disease and distress. It also considers empirically supported methods for addressing these problems, and outlines the implications for public health planning.
160 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2019
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May 11, 2022
This book was ready for publication in 2019, but the author could not find a publisher. It turned out to be a blueprint for exactly what happened in 2020-2021.
some snippets...
Communicable diseases existed during humankind’s hunter-gatherer days. But it wasn’t until about 10,000 years ago when we began living in communities and domesticating animals, that outbreaks of sicknesses such as malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, influenza, smallpox, and others first appeared.
Remarkably, public health agencies have devoted few resources for specifically dealing with the psychological factors that influence pandemic-related emotional reactions (e.g., fear, anxiety, distress) and behavioral problems (e.g., nonadherence, avoidance, stigmatization of out-groups).
The most famous pandemic was the Bubonic Plague (e.g., 1346-1353), attributed to Yersinia pestis, which killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide.
Despite continuing progress in many areas, including enhanced human and animal surveillance and large-scale viral genomic screening, we are probably no better able today to anticipate and prevent the emergence of pandemic influenza than 5 centuries ago.
The frequent genetic mutation and genetic reassortment of influenza viruses make it difficult, if not impossible, to prevent influenza pandemics from occurring.
==========
Typhoid Mary....
Historically, the most famous superspreader was Mary Mallon, dubbed “Typhoid Mary” by the news media. Typhoid is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by Salmonella typhi. People can be chronically asymptomatic carriers. At the turn of the 20th century, typhoid epidemics were commonplace, with no effective treatment. From 1902-1909, Mallon, a chronic but asymptomatic carrier, infected more than 50 people with typhoid before she was involuntarily quarantined in a hospital for communicable diseases in New York. What made her case tragic was that she stubbornly refused to give up working as a cook, despite being infected, which led to her involuntary confinement. It was quite obvious that Mallon was infecting people. Each time she moved to a new house to serve as a household cook, the occupants became sick. Never staying long, she moved from house to house, gaining her employment through job placement agencies. Mallon adamantly denied being infected, even after infecting so many people and being involuntarily quarantined.
The authorities offered to release Mallon [from quarantine] if she would agree to give up professional cooking or have her gall bladder removed, since it was believed [erroneously] to be the site of her chronic infection. She rejected both offers, and denied that she was responsible for anyone’s sickness or death. She refused to recognize the authority of science or government to label her a menace to society. … “I never had typhoid in my life, and have always been healthy,” Mallon told one reporter. “Why should I be banished like a leper and compelled to live in solitary confinement with only a dog for a companion?”
Mallon was released on the proviso that she promised not to work as a cook, not to handle the food of others, observe various other precautions, and report to the New York City Department of Health every three months release, she promptly disappeared, changed her name, and resumed working as a cook in hotels, restaurants, and sanatoria. While working at a maternity hospital she infected 25 people. She was later apprehended and returned to the quarantine hospital, where she spent the remainder of her life.
===============
People desperate to protect themselves and loved ones will increasingly turn to quack cures and dubious folk remedies. In one instance a Canadian man drank hydrogen peroxide in the hope of keeping himself safe from the Spanish flu....
Having heard that hydrogen peroxide was an effective germ-killer, [he] thought he would take extra precautions, so he bought a bottle of the liquid and drank as much of it as he could. Frothing and bubbling, he was rushed to the infirmary and luckily survived the drastic self-medication. Fortunately, too, he recovered from the influenza he caught a week later despite the peroxide.
We can expect to see a rise of quack cures, folk remedies, and superstitious health-related behaviors during the next pandemic.
========
Conspiracy theories are resistant to falsification in that they postulate that conspirators use stealth and disinformation to cover up their actions, which implies that people who try to debunk conspiracy theories may, themselves, be part of the conspiracy.
Research shows that the tendency to believe in conspiracy theories is correlated with the following:
· Suspiciousness, magical thinking, and the tendency to believe in the paranormal.
· Narcissism (i.e., an inflated view of oneself that requires external validation) and the need to feel unique that can be fulfilled by believing that one has special knowledge about conspiracies. [That would be my sister]
· Worry about one’s health and mortality, for people who believe in medical conspiracy theories.
· Gullibility, lower media literacy (i.e., poorer ability to critically analyze the source and contents of news stories, as indicated, for example, by the tendency to believe in fake news), lower intelligence, lower education, and poorer skills in analytical thinking.
· Rejection of conventional scientific findings or theories (e.g., the theory of evolution) in favor of pseudoscience (e.g., the belief that prayer is effective in curing terminal disease).
=========
Article in the Guardian about this book...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...
some snippets...
Communicable diseases existed during humankind’s hunter-gatherer days. But it wasn’t until about 10,000 years ago when we began living in communities and domesticating animals, that outbreaks of sicknesses such as malaria, tuberculosis, leprosy, influenza, smallpox, and others first appeared.
Remarkably, public health agencies have devoted few resources for specifically dealing with the psychological factors that influence pandemic-related emotional reactions (e.g., fear, anxiety, distress) and behavioral problems (e.g., nonadherence, avoidance, stigmatization of out-groups).
The most famous pandemic was the Bubonic Plague (e.g., 1346-1353), attributed to Yersinia pestis, which killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide.
Despite continuing progress in many areas, including enhanced human and animal surveillance and large-scale viral genomic screening, we are probably no better able today to anticipate and prevent the emergence of pandemic influenza than 5 centuries ago.
The frequent genetic mutation and genetic reassortment of influenza viruses make it difficult, if not impossible, to prevent influenza pandemics from occurring.
==========
Typhoid Mary....
Historically, the most famous superspreader was Mary Mallon, dubbed “Typhoid Mary” by the news media. Typhoid is a highly contagious infectious disease caused by Salmonella typhi. People can be chronically asymptomatic carriers. At the turn of the 20th century, typhoid epidemics were commonplace, with no effective treatment. From 1902-1909, Mallon, a chronic but asymptomatic carrier, infected more than 50 people with typhoid before she was involuntarily quarantined in a hospital for communicable diseases in New York. What made her case tragic was that she stubbornly refused to give up working as a cook, despite being infected, which led to her involuntary confinement. It was quite obvious that Mallon was infecting people. Each time she moved to a new house to serve as a household cook, the occupants became sick. Never staying long, she moved from house to house, gaining her employment through job placement agencies. Mallon adamantly denied being infected, even after infecting so many people and being involuntarily quarantined.
The authorities offered to release Mallon [from quarantine] if she would agree to give up professional cooking or have her gall bladder removed, since it was believed [erroneously] to be the site of her chronic infection. She rejected both offers, and denied that she was responsible for anyone’s sickness or death. She refused to recognize the authority of science or government to label her a menace to society. … “I never had typhoid in my life, and have always been healthy,” Mallon told one reporter. “Why should I be banished like a leper and compelled to live in solitary confinement with only a dog for a companion?”
Mallon was released on the proviso that she promised not to work as a cook, not to handle the food of others, observe various other precautions, and report to the New York City Department of Health every three months release, she promptly disappeared, changed her name, and resumed working as a cook in hotels, restaurants, and sanatoria. While working at a maternity hospital she infected 25 people. She was later apprehended and returned to the quarantine hospital, where she spent the remainder of her life.
===============
People desperate to protect themselves and loved ones will increasingly turn to quack cures and dubious folk remedies. In one instance a Canadian man drank hydrogen peroxide in the hope of keeping himself safe from the Spanish flu....
Having heard that hydrogen peroxide was an effective germ-killer, [he] thought he would take extra precautions, so he bought a bottle of the liquid and drank as much of it as he could. Frothing and bubbling, he was rushed to the infirmary and luckily survived the drastic self-medication. Fortunately, too, he recovered from the influenza he caught a week later despite the peroxide.
We can expect to see a rise of quack cures, folk remedies, and superstitious health-related behaviors during the next pandemic.
========
Conspiracy theories are resistant to falsification in that they postulate that conspirators use stealth and disinformation to cover up their actions, which implies that people who try to debunk conspiracy theories may, themselves, be part of the conspiracy.
Research shows that the tendency to believe in conspiracy theories is correlated with the following:
· Suspiciousness, magical thinking, and the tendency to believe in the paranormal.
· Narcissism (i.e., an inflated view of oneself that requires external validation) and the need to feel unique that can be fulfilled by believing that one has special knowledge about conspiracies. [That would be my sister]
· Worry about one’s health and mortality, for people who believe in medical conspiracy theories.
· Gullibility, lower media literacy (i.e., poorer ability to critically analyze the source and contents of news stories, as indicated, for example, by the tendency to believe in fake news), lower intelligence, lower education, and poorer skills in analytical thinking.
· Rejection of conventional scientific findings or theories (e.g., the theory of evolution) in favor of pseudoscience (e.g., the belief that prayer is effective in curing terminal disease).
=========
Article in the Guardian about this book...
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2...
March 24, 2020
This is a brief, clear, straightforward summary of the psychological effects of pandemics on populations and individuals. While there is nothing particularly earth-shattering, it outlines a sensible way of mentally dealing with pandemics and is prescient with respect to the way the responses to COVID-19 appear to be shaping up.
June 30, 2020
This book was long on the "what" and short on the "so what". It was a set of definitions and observations rather than a guide to preparing for the next global pandemic. It does a good job of covering, as the main title promises, the psychology of pandemics. It just doesn't deliver on the promise of the subtitle: preparing for the next global outbreak of infectious disease.
The first two chapters are a review for anyone living through this age of COVID-19. Superspreaders, social distancing, hygiene: these are familiar topics by now. Chapter three is also fairly familiar, although the chapter has some good insights, such as the idea that in uncertain times many of the negative behaviors people engage in, such as hoarding or promoting quack medicine, comes from a desire to recover some sense of control and certainty.
Chapter four goes into individual psychological factors that influence how people react to pandemics. The specifics are interesting, but the challenge from a societal perspective is that some people are prone to overreacting to the threat of disease while others are prone to underreacting. This makes it a challenge to come up with effective methods for encouraging adherence to public health guidelines. Digging into this further, chapter five discusses health anxiety. Some people overreact to a degree that it becomes both an individual and public health issue. While it is obvious that underreaction can become a public health issue, overreaction can put increasing burdens on the healthcare system (getting unnecessary tests) or the supply chain for essential goods (hoarding).
Chapter six discusses the behavioral immune system. Since we cannot see germs, humans have evolved to react to the visible signals associated with disease. This includes people who appear sick, of course, but it can also expand to those who are associated with sickness (e.g., healthcare workers) or who are stigmatized because of association with the disease (e.g., COVID-19 coming from China leading to discrimination against Chinese). The behavioral immune system is powerful, but an overactive system can lead to problematic discrimination.
Chapter seven discusses conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories offer people a feeling of understanding, safety, and control. They claim to make clear why something happened, who benefits from it, and who should be blamed. Since pandemics are often times of great uncertainty, conspiracy theories can be an attractive way to avoid the reality's lack of legibility. Conspiracy theories are hard to dislodge although there is some evidence that people can be "innoculated" against them if they are exposed to the fact that would refute the theories before they are exposed to the conspiracy theory.
Chapter eight discusses the spread of belief, rumors, misinformation, and fear. These spread through direct information transmission, of course. They also spread via observational learning. If people see others being worried about a disease, they will become more worried, even when no specific factual information is conveyed. Media coverage tends to reflect and reinforce the concerns of the community, but with an overemphasis on the negative. During pandemic times, media has a responsibility to counter its negativity bias and to also emphasize what people can do to control the spread, protect their mental and physical health, etc.
Chapter nine is about risk communication. As noted above, one of the challenges is that people will react to a pandemic differently. Emotional appeal may appeal to some people but may push others to underreact. Logical appeals are received more consistently, but they are not as memorable and are less likely to motivate action. Communication about effective health measures will likely need to take multiple approaches.
One particularly useful concept from this chapter is the idea of psychological distance. Essentially, the shorter the perceived psychological distance between a person and a risk, the more likely they are to take actions to avoid that risk. This is a function of physical distance (is the disease here?), temporal distance (how quickly might it get here?), social distance (do I know anyone affected?), and probability distance (how likely am I to be exposed?). Shrinking the perceived psychological distance can help people take the risk more seriously, but only as long as the risks are not perceived as exaggerated.
Chapter ten is about adherence to vaccination recommendations. It mostly does not address conspiracy theory related reasons that people might avoid vaccines. Instead, it addresses the more mundane -- and therefore more prevalent -- reasons people do not get recommended vaccinations. People don't get vaccinated if they believe they are unlikely to be exposed, if they see themselves as unlikely to be infected, if they do not think the disease as serious, if they see the vaccines as hard to get (either logistically or because of fear of injection), or if they have misgivings about the safety or efficacy of the vaccine. This variety of reasons means that merely stressing the importance of vaccination is not enough. Instead, vaccination campaigns should target the specific reasons people avoid vaccines.
Chapter 11 covers the importance of treating pandemic related mental health problems. The chapter recommends a screen-and-treat approach where easy to administer screenings are deployed as widely as possible (e.g., mental health questionnaires at all medical exams). Those at risk are then funneled into further screenings (e.g., phone screens). Those who need additional health are then connected with qualified mental healthcare providers. This approach addresses two problems. First, those who need help may not proactively reach out for it. Second, by starting out lightweight, the process can aim to be less of a burden on an already stressed healthcare system.
The final chapter briefly notes some key things to do to prepare for the future.
Overall, lots of good information even if the book did not live up to its initial promise.
The first two chapters are a review for anyone living through this age of COVID-19. Superspreaders, social distancing, hygiene: these are familiar topics by now. Chapter three is also fairly familiar, although the chapter has some good insights, such as the idea that in uncertain times many of the negative behaviors people engage in, such as hoarding or promoting quack medicine, comes from a desire to recover some sense of control and certainty.
Chapter four goes into individual psychological factors that influence how people react to pandemics. The specifics are interesting, but the challenge from a societal perspective is that some people are prone to overreacting to the threat of disease while others are prone to underreacting. This makes it a challenge to come up with effective methods for encouraging adherence to public health guidelines. Digging into this further, chapter five discusses health anxiety. Some people overreact to a degree that it becomes both an individual and public health issue. While it is obvious that underreaction can become a public health issue, overreaction can put increasing burdens on the healthcare system (getting unnecessary tests) or the supply chain for essential goods (hoarding).
Chapter six discusses the behavioral immune system. Since we cannot see germs, humans have evolved to react to the visible signals associated with disease. This includes people who appear sick, of course, but it can also expand to those who are associated with sickness (e.g., healthcare workers) or who are stigmatized because of association with the disease (e.g., COVID-19 coming from China leading to discrimination against Chinese). The behavioral immune system is powerful, but an overactive system can lead to problematic discrimination.
Chapter seven discusses conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories offer people a feeling of understanding, safety, and control. They claim to make clear why something happened, who benefits from it, and who should be blamed. Since pandemics are often times of great uncertainty, conspiracy theories can be an attractive way to avoid the reality's lack of legibility. Conspiracy theories are hard to dislodge although there is some evidence that people can be "innoculated" against them if they are exposed to the fact that would refute the theories before they are exposed to the conspiracy theory.
Chapter eight discusses the spread of belief, rumors, misinformation, and fear. These spread through direct information transmission, of course. They also spread via observational learning. If people see others being worried about a disease, they will become more worried, even when no specific factual information is conveyed. Media coverage tends to reflect and reinforce the concerns of the community, but with an overemphasis on the negative. During pandemic times, media has a responsibility to counter its negativity bias and to also emphasize what people can do to control the spread, protect their mental and physical health, etc.
Chapter nine is about risk communication. As noted above, one of the challenges is that people will react to a pandemic differently. Emotional appeal may appeal to some people but may push others to underreact. Logical appeals are received more consistently, but they are not as memorable and are less likely to motivate action. Communication about effective health measures will likely need to take multiple approaches.
One particularly useful concept from this chapter is the idea of psychological distance. Essentially, the shorter the perceived psychological distance between a person and a risk, the more likely they are to take actions to avoid that risk. This is a function of physical distance (is the disease here?), temporal distance (how quickly might it get here?), social distance (do I know anyone affected?), and probability distance (how likely am I to be exposed?). Shrinking the perceived psychological distance can help people take the risk more seriously, but only as long as the risks are not perceived as exaggerated.
Chapter ten is about adherence to vaccination recommendations. It mostly does not address conspiracy theory related reasons that people might avoid vaccines. Instead, it addresses the more mundane -- and therefore more prevalent -- reasons people do not get recommended vaccinations. People don't get vaccinated if they believe they are unlikely to be exposed, if they see themselves as unlikely to be infected, if they do not think the disease as serious, if they see the vaccines as hard to get (either logistically or because of fear of injection), or if they have misgivings about the safety or efficacy of the vaccine. This variety of reasons means that merely stressing the importance of vaccination is not enough. Instead, vaccination campaigns should target the specific reasons people avoid vaccines.
Chapter 11 covers the importance of treating pandemic related mental health problems. The chapter recommends a screen-and-treat approach where easy to administer screenings are deployed as widely as possible (e.g., mental health questionnaires at all medical exams). Those at risk are then funneled into further screenings (e.g., phone screens). Those who need additional health are then connected with qualified mental healthcare providers. This approach addresses two problems. First, those who need help may not proactively reach out for it. Second, by starting out lightweight, the process can aim to be less of a burden on an already stressed healthcare system.
The final chapter briefly notes some key things to do to prepare for the future.
Overall, lots of good information even if the book did not live up to its initial promise.
January 31, 2021
If you are reading this book in 2020/21, you might be thinking: Okay, this is a good recapitulation of how this COVID pandemic looks like, how people should act and how they really act. Then, you would notice that this book was published in 2019. And you would be mind-blown.
Then again, if the year is 2019 and you are reading this book, you might be thinking: Okay, if the pandemics occurs somewhere in the future, that should not be a big problem. We already have all the tools and the necessary knowledge to facilitate a proper reaction. We are aware of the pitfalls and the possible dangers. Identifying troublemakers will be easy. The world knows how to react.
And well … in this case, mind-blown might be a slight understatement.
The characteristics of the future pandemics predicted in this book sound uncanny. When you read his words about the recommended hygienic practices, economic grievances, inevitable conspiracy theories, funeral home shortages and expected human reactions, you are bound to confuse him with some grim soothsayer. Yet, what he demonstrates very well through this compactly written guide is maybe an even grimmer reality. Pandemics are nothing new under the sun. All this has already happened in the past. Furthermore, it has all been well documented and well analyzed. And humankind has forgotten.
Despite being somewhat technical at moments and bursting with figures and quotations, this book is in fact a short and easy read. Read it to better understand our pandemic-riddled past and read it to better grasp our COVID-filled present. Also, read it to see what Dr. Taylor expects from the vaccination process and what is expected to be the biggest human burden in post-COVID world.
Then again, if the year is 2019 and you are reading this book, you might be thinking: Okay, if the pandemics occurs somewhere in the future, that should not be a big problem. We already have all the tools and the necessary knowledge to facilitate a proper reaction. We are aware of the pitfalls and the possible dangers. Identifying troublemakers will be easy. The world knows how to react.
And well … in this case, mind-blown might be a slight understatement.
The characteristics of the future pandemics predicted in this book sound uncanny. When you read his words about the recommended hygienic practices, economic grievances, inevitable conspiracy theories, funeral home shortages and expected human reactions, you are bound to confuse him with some grim soothsayer. Yet, what he demonstrates very well through this compactly written guide is maybe an even grimmer reality. Pandemics are nothing new under the sun. All this has already happened in the past. Furthermore, it has all been well documented and well analyzed. And humankind has forgotten.
Despite being somewhat technical at moments and bursting with figures and quotations, this book is in fact a short and easy read. Read it to better understand our pandemic-riddled past and read it to better grasp our COVID-filled present. Also, read it to see what Dr. Taylor expects from the vaccination process and what is expected to be the biggest human burden in post-COVID world.
April 3, 2020
If you want to understand the psychology of people in times of pandemic, this is the book to learn from.
Written in 2019, it describes in details what happens right now, during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s fascinating that we were aware of the how a pandemic will affect the world, but we were entirely unprepared for it.
I truly hope that this crisis will open the door for science and research to have a more important role in governments, public policies and information distribution.
Read this book. It’s for the painful now.
Written in 2019, it describes in details what happens right now, during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s fascinating that we were aware of the how a pandemic will affect the world, but we were entirely unprepared for it.
I truly hope that this crisis will open the door for science and research to have a more important role in governments, public policies and information distribution.
Read this book. It’s for the painful now.
October 1, 2020
great summary/compilation of findings from studies of psychology and pandemics- it was super interesting to understand the underlying psychological factors that have caused so many of the phenomenons I have experienced and seen (eg. paranoia vs indifference) these past 6 months. seemed lowkey prophetic lol (esp since it was published in sept 2019!!!)
however would have been better if it had a bit more of Taylor's own reflections instead of just mechanical summaries.
4/5 stars.
☆fav quotes☆
"Beliefs and fears about diseases, just like diseases themselves, spread through social networks."
"Keep things in perspective. For centuries people have survived hardships. Most people are resilient; most people bounce back and adapt to changes. Do not dwell on worst-case scenarios. Remember, things will get better."
however would have been better if it had a bit more of Taylor's own reflections instead of just mechanical summaries.
4/5 stars.
☆fav quotes☆
"Beliefs and fears about diseases, just like diseases themselves, spread through social networks."
"Keep things in perspective. For centuries people have survived hardships. Most people are resilient; most people bounce back and adapt to changes. Do not dwell on worst-case scenarios. Remember, things will get better."
March 28, 2021
A good read that helps highlights the ways that psychology plays into both the impact and aftermath of pandemics. I will admit that I was more interested in the sociological and historical angles that the book illuminates. And, as something written in advance of our current pandemic, I was impressed by how much it got right in terms of predictions. There's also some useful food for thought regarding vaccine hesitancy. In particular, the suggestion that if vaccines could be seen as more communal and less autocratic, that vaccine hesitancy might plummet. Along these lines, I wonder whether people posting vaccine selfies is helping? Fingers crossed!
June 6, 2020
Published last year, this book and its projections all feel scary accurate now. I seriously bet Steven Taylor is sitting at home feeling like a researcher prophet.
Very accessible reading and a helpful guide to understanding the phenomena and psychology of the times.
Very accessible reading and a helpful guide to understanding the phenomena and psychology of the times.
April 9, 2020
It is well written and a good summary of how people deal with health insecurities in pandemics.
October 14, 2021
This is an insightful look at the psychology of pandemics written before the COVID-19 pandemic and released close to the time of declaration of the pandemic. It is a very accurate description of what is happening today.
April 1, 2020
Yayınlanma tarihi olarak on numara, içerik olarak yüklü, ama çok kuru bir kitap. Kitaptan ziyade biraz uzun yazılmış rapor tadında. Pandemikler, pandemiklere karşı insanların tutumu, işte kocakarı ilaçlarının popülerlik kazanmasından, hastalıkla ilgili hijyen kurallarını önemsemeyenlerden, obsesyon yapanlara, geniş bir yelpazede psikolojik durumu ele almış. Pandemik sırasında artacak psikolojik sorunlara online destek verilmesini vs. tavsiye ediyor. 3.5
November 16, 2021
While this book would be very different if written now, it is still worth the read for anyone in public health or wanting to understand some of the psychological literature related to what we've all gone through in the last 2 years. This offers one important slice of addressing this and future pandemics. It's a quick review of psychological literature in some very focused areas, including risk communication and conspiracy theories. It doesn't posit these within a larger social determinants of health or racial & health equity framework and so I hope no one thinks this is the definitive book on solving everything about pandemics, but it does offer important insights that are very relevant to COVID.
February 8, 2022
*I didn’t read this for enjoyment i read this for a class*
the entire thing super repetitive and half of the book was just citations. could have been 50 pages max if it wasn’t for the citations and how repetitive the main points were.
it is crazy to think how accurate everything in this book was though
the entire thing super repetitive and half of the book was just citations. could have been 50 pages max if it wasn’t for the citations and how repetitive the main points were.
it is crazy to think how accurate everything in this book was though
February 11, 2023
One of the many books I have pledged to read in order to know and understand more about epidemics, pandemics, viruses, vaccines, zoonoses, contagion, and other edifying stuff, I found this one more accessible than most, so if you are looking to dip a toe into these infested waters, or even to take a dip, this book is a good one.
I wish I could say that the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, the illness that results, is past, but it ain't. Projections seem to favor that the virus will be with us long, like the influenza viruses, and we will be regularly updating our vaccinations. But with all due irony and without respect to the stupid, I can and will LIVE with that.
Ready yourself for an encounter: "My name is Inigo Montoya. . . ."
If you are just beginning to educate yourself on this, start here.
I wish I could say that the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19, the illness that results, is past, but it ain't. Projections seem to favor that the virus will be with us long, like the influenza viruses, and we will be regularly updating our vaccinations. But with all due irony and without respect to the stupid, I can and will LIVE with that.
Ready yourself for an encounter: "My name is Inigo Montoya. . . ."
If you are just beginning to educate yourself on this, start here.
October 29, 2021
This book is astounding in that although it was written in 2019, before the current Covid-19 pandemic, in describing human actions during previous pandemics, it predicts so many of the attitudes of those who disbelieve in the Covid-19 vaccine and Covid itself.
After describing irrational actions during the last pandemics, it urges public health to address issues and increase public trust before the next pandemic, since once misinformation is reported and believed it is very hard to eradicate.
It’s hard to choose a quote or two to encompass the book since every paragraph seemed relevant. Since it’s a very short, 116 pages plus another 45 plus pages of references, you can read it quickly.
It does read like a dissertation with numerous footnotes on every page and an extensive bibliography. But while some may find the format distracting, I found it utterly fascinating.
“ Things are likely to be complicated , unpredictable , and turbulent . There will be widespread prosocial behavior but also incidents of civil unrest and even rioting . Other fallouts will include a rise of xenophobia and discrimination . Ethnic minority groups and HCWs will likely be targets of discrimination . We will see a proliferation of conspiracy theories . Someone or some organization or agency will be blamed , rightly or wrongly . The news media will sensationalize the pandemic , despite admonishments to engage in more balanced reporting . Unfounded rumors and fake news will spread rapidly throughout the Internet . Heath authorities will struggle to contain rumors and to debunk conspiracy theories . Many people will dutifully conform to the advice of health authorities . Such people will get vaccinated , cover their coughs , and comply with social distancing mandates . But many other people will fail to adhere to the recommendations of health authorities . These people will engage in seeming self - defeating behaviors such as refusing to get vaccinated , if a vaccine is available . These people will refuse to stay home when they are sick . They will spread infection to other people ." p 113.
“There will be a rise of quack cures and folk remedies . Charlatans will seize the opportunity to capitalize on mass fears .
“To think of all conspiracy theorists as cranks is not helpful — there are just too many” p 70
"Conspiracy theories , as promulgated on social media ( e.g . , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube ) and through other avenues , have several common features : ( 1 ) The proponents typically go to great efforts to cite supposedly authoritative sources to support their claims , even if such claims might be vague ( e.g . , “ Research at Harvard has shown that … ” ) ; ( 2 ) the theories themselves are often vague ; and ( 3 ) the proponents frequently use leading questions ; a “ just asking ” style in which they raise rhetorical questions to challenge mainstream". p 72.
After describing irrational actions during the last pandemics, it urges public health to address issues and increase public trust before the next pandemic, since once misinformation is reported and believed it is very hard to eradicate.
It’s hard to choose a quote or two to encompass the book since every paragraph seemed relevant. Since it’s a very short, 116 pages plus another 45 plus pages of references, you can read it quickly.
It does read like a dissertation with numerous footnotes on every page and an extensive bibliography. But while some may find the format distracting, I found it utterly fascinating.
“ Things are likely to be complicated , unpredictable , and turbulent . There will be widespread prosocial behavior but also incidents of civil unrest and even rioting . Other fallouts will include a rise of xenophobia and discrimination . Ethnic minority groups and HCWs will likely be targets of discrimination . We will see a proliferation of conspiracy theories . Someone or some organization or agency will be blamed , rightly or wrongly . The news media will sensationalize the pandemic , despite admonishments to engage in more balanced reporting . Unfounded rumors and fake news will spread rapidly throughout the Internet . Heath authorities will struggle to contain rumors and to debunk conspiracy theories . Many people will dutifully conform to the advice of health authorities . Such people will get vaccinated , cover their coughs , and comply with social distancing mandates . But many other people will fail to adhere to the recommendations of health authorities . These people will engage in seeming self - defeating behaviors such as refusing to get vaccinated , if a vaccine is available . These people will refuse to stay home when they are sick . They will spread infection to other people ." p 113.
“There will be a rise of quack cures and folk remedies . Charlatans will seize the opportunity to capitalize on mass fears .
“To think of all conspiracy theorists as cranks is not helpful — there are just too many” p 70
"Conspiracy theories , as promulgated on social media ( e.g . , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube ) and through other avenues , have several common features : ( 1 ) The proponents typically go to great efforts to cite supposedly authoritative sources to support their claims , even if such claims might be vague ( e.g . , “ Research at Harvard has shown that … ” ) ; ( 2 ) the theories themselves are often vague ; and ( 3 ) the proponents frequently use leading questions ; a “ just asking ” style in which they raise rhetorical questions to challenge mainstream". p 72.
April 21, 2020
The book is mainly a summary of countless studies. 46 pages (out of 179) of reference listing gives you an idea of how many articles have been cited within the book. The citations irritated me after every couple of lines. The book is also unnecessarily lengthy, stating the same sentences again and again just to put the citations of similar studies in the end.
Now, the good part is that I’ve got to know about some pandemics of the last couple of centuries starting from Bubonic Plague of (1346-1353). These are not discussed here chronologically. Rather, they are referred while talking about a common topic related to pandemics.
THE BEST PART:
I have read this fairly small book while staying home in lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 (We are still in lockdown, by the way). And the best part of the book is that it had been published only a couple of weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic began in China. The book points out the similarities among the previous pandemics and tries to predict a possible scenario of the next big pandemic along with the considerations of modern scientific advancements like the role of Internet and Social media. It felt amazing to see that the century-old pandemics and COVID-19 pandemic have so many similarities. I have been watching the things happen right in front of my eyes as i have been reading the book. The writer (as he said in an article on Independent news) was shocked by the amazing similarities between his predictions and the real life occurrences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, you can give it a try if you are interested to see how the previous pandemics told us a lot about the next big pandemic.
Now, the good part is that I’ve got to know about some pandemics of the last couple of centuries starting from Bubonic Plague of (1346-1353). These are not discussed here chronologically. Rather, they are referred while talking about a common topic related to pandemics.
THE BEST PART:
I have read this fairly small book while staying home in lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 (We are still in lockdown, by the way). And the best part of the book is that it had been published only a couple of weeks before the COVID-19 pandemic began in China. The book points out the similarities among the previous pandemics and tries to predict a possible scenario of the next big pandemic along with the considerations of modern scientific advancements like the role of Internet and Social media. It felt amazing to see that the century-old pandemics and COVID-19 pandemic have so many similarities. I have been watching the things happen right in front of my eyes as i have been reading the book. The writer (as he said in an article on Independent news) was shocked by the amazing similarities between his predictions and the real life occurrences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, you can give it a try if you are interested to see how the previous pandemics told us a lot about the next big pandemic.
May 23, 2020
Useful to read in the time of COVID-19. Published just the year before, it contains a brief description of the latest research on pandemics. The author stresses the importance of risk communication (informing people of the situation, risks and measures) and the effect of social media in pandemics (double-edged). I feel that after 2 months of the pandemic, this book has given me more tangible information on the current situation than all the official and media articles. So, I truly wish more people would either read this book or that education and communication on health related issues would be improved.
Not to mention that it’s also just another frustrating moment to say that the universal health care system must be strengthened! The healthcare workers and essential workers (in education, food sector, deliveries, cleaning, public services etc etc) are the ones fighting the pandemic! Yet, many of them have been labeled low-skilled workers, many of them are kept on low incomes and benefits, many of them are immigrants or minority, and take on hardships every day. Hope people will remember it was them on the frontline, and not the rich or the banks...
Not to mention that it’s also just another frustrating moment to say that the universal health care system must be strengthened! The healthcare workers and essential workers (in education, food sector, deliveries, cleaning, public services etc etc) are the ones fighting the pandemic! Yet, many of them have been labeled low-skilled workers, many of them are kept on low incomes and benefits, many of them are immigrants or minority, and take on hardships every day. Hope people will remember it was them on the frontline, and not the rich or the banks...
June 6, 2020
Generally good advice with many references. Considers vaccinations as a panacea for infection without acknowledging the capacity and inevitability of mutation.
As predicted: “Dealing with the psychological fallout of a severe pandemic will not be a simple task. Things are likely to be complicated, unpredictable, and turbulent. There will be widespread prosocial behavior but also incidents of civil unrest and even rioting. Other fallouts will include a rise of xenophobia and discrimination.” and
“We will see a proliferation of conspiracy theories. Someone or some organization or agency will be blamed, rightly or wrongly. The news media will sensationalize the pandemic, despite admonishments to engage in more balanced reporting. Unfounded rumors and fake news will spread rapidly throughout the Internet. Heath authorities will struggle to contain rumors and to debunk conspiracy theories."
As predicted: “Dealing with the psychological fallout of a severe pandemic will not be a simple task. Things are likely to be complicated, unpredictable, and turbulent. There will be widespread prosocial behavior but also incidents of civil unrest and even rioting. Other fallouts will include a rise of xenophobia and discrimination.” and
“We will see a proliferation of conspiracy theories. Someone or some organization or agency will be blamed, rightly or wrongly. The news media will sensationalize the pandemic, despite admonishments to engage in more balanced reporting. Unfounded rumors and fake news will spread rapidly throughout the Internet. Heath authorities will struggle to contain rumors and to debunk conspiracy theories."
November 16, 2024
*The Psychology of Pandemics* by Steven Taylor is a timely and insightful exploration of how psychological factors shape individual and societal responses to pandemics. The book delves into the history of pandemics, providing context for recurring human behaviors such as panic buying, stigma, conspiracy theories, and vaccine resistance. Taylor connects these patterns to psychological theories, emphasizing the critical role mental health plays during global health crises. Written with clarity and backed by research, the book is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to understand the interplay between psychology and pandemics, especially in light of recent events like COVID-19.
May 30, 2020
Vital Read During These Times
This was a great book in that it gives a history of pandemics and the psychological effects and outcomes. I found it prescient and that it was published in October 2019 and more than accurately depicts what we are going through right now with the coronavirus. Definitely important to read if you want to understand how the future may play out.
This was a great book in that it gives a history of pandemics and the psychological effects and outcomes. I found it prescient and that it was published in October 2019 and more than accurately depicts what we are going through right now with the coronavirus. Definitely important to read if you want to understand how the future may play out.
November 12, 2021
This book was very, very dry, but worth reading just for the fact that everything that had happened during the COVID-19 pandemic was totally predictable. I also enjoyed learning about the Spanish flu--especially the quotes from primary sources.
May 22, 2020
Amazing book. By far the most comprehensive resource I've seen on the subject.
And the level of scientific rigor is astonishing: every single important claim includes source/citations.
And the level of scientific rigor is astonishing: every single important claim includes source/citations.
August 21, 2020
Great review and assessment overall but lacks some detail. Sections were informative but short. Approachable for laypersons and academics alike.
October 28, 2020
Review is on my webpage. Link in bio
February 21, 2022
Published in 2019, this book is an excellent overview of the different ways people may react in a pandemic, ideas for communicating about the disease to different types of people, and some thoughts on public policy to support people's emotional health during and after the crisis.
I found it a fairly quick read and really fascinating.
It helped me understand some of my relatives a little better and made me feel slightly less like I would rather bash my head against a wall than bring up the pandemic with them again. But only slightly.
Especially eye-opening were the factors that contribute to people believing in conspiracy theories and the explanations about "psychological reactance." (See my highlights). I know someone who has issues with those things and basically every other thing in this book that makes it difficult to even talk to someone logically about health in this situation (the nocebo effect, negative emotionality, blunting, etc.)
I could see myself in it, too. I'm definitely more of a "monitor" type--I take in too much information. So, some of the strategies in the book were also good reminders for me: read less news, for one.
I was unfamiliar with the field of risk communication. Very important and interesting from an information science perspective. Taylor has good thoughts about how misinformation can be fought. I don't think he anticipated, however, what problems it would cause if official sources like the CDC did their job of communication so poorly. He advises to listen to such sources rather than random stuff on the internet or in the news, but it makes it hard to listen to and trust official sources when they bungle their messaging, especially for people who are naturally suspicious or prone to believing in conspiracy theories.
Clearly our government wasn't ready to handle the psychological aspects of this pandemic at all--we had a CDC that communicated poorly, a crazy macho narcissist in the oval office (who was practically shouting that it was no big deal, because anything less would have threatened his manhood), and probably very little funding for handling the behavioral health aspects of the situation. Maybe we could at least be better prepared for the next one. One can hope.
I found it a fairly quick read and really fascinating.
It helped me understand some of my relatives a little better and made me feel slightly less like I would rather bash my head against a wall than bring up the pandemic with them again. But only slightly.
Especially eye-opening were the factors that contribute to people believing in conspiracy theories and the explanations about "psychological reactance." (See my highlights). I know someone who has issues with those things and basically every other thing in this book that makes it difficult to even talk to someone logically about health in this situation (the nocebo effect, negative emotionality, blunting, etc.)
I could see myself in it, too. I'm definitely more of a "monitor" type--I take in too much information. So, some of the strategies in the book were also good reminders for me: read less news, for one.
I was unfamiliar with the field of risk communication. Very important and interesting from an information science perspective. Taylor has good thoughts about how misinformation can be fought. I don't think he anticipated, however, what problems it would cause if official sources like the CDC did their job of communication so poorly. He advises to listen to such sources rather than random stuff on the internet or in the news, but it makes it hard to listen to and trust official sources when they bungle their messaging, especially for people who are naturally suspicious or prone to believing in conspiracy theories.
Clearly our government wasn't ready to handle the psychological aspects of this pandemic at all--we had a CDC that communicated poorly, a crazy macho narcissist in the oval office (who was practically shouting that it was no big deal, because anything less would have threatened his manhood), and probably very little funding for handling the behavioral health aspects of the situation. Maybe we could at least be better prepared for the next one. One can hope.
April 25, 2022
A short readable book with appropriate academic bibliography. (That always reassures me!)
It was written before the pandemic, which serves to remind us how negligently unprepared were many of those in government(s).
By the time Covid19 became a serious matter it should have been evident to anyone who takes any interest in the world that a new pandemic would happen.
This is a century after the 1918-19 “Spanish” flu pandemic so lessons from the past should have been learnt.
That virus spread worldwide rapidly with cruel effect, in part because of the mobility of wartime and the secrecy of the combatant nations.
100 years on, so much travel brings infection round the globe in no time. For all English people may boast their country is an island (it’s not, it’s part of one) giving a defensive advantage closing borders or at least tracking movements, came too late, restrictions were belated and halfhearted with inevitable consequences.
I’d say it is reckless to ignore a novel virus that is causing many deaths in another country.
I believe the Westminster government has been shamefully inactive (while claiming to be “world beating”! It’s a pandemic-universal!- not the Eurovision Song Contest!!
It was written before the pandemic, which serves to remind us how negligently unprepared were many of those in government(s).
By the time Covid19 became a serious matter it should have been evident to anyone who takes any interest in the world that a new pandemic would happen.
This is a century after the 1918-19 “Spanish” flu pandemic so lessons from the past should have been learnt.
That virus spread worldwide rapidly with cruel effect, in part because of the mobility of wartime and the secrecy of the combatant nations.
100 years on, so much travel brings infection round the globe in no time. For all English people may boast their country is an island (it’s not, it’s part of one) giving a defensive advantage closing borders or at least tracking movements, came too late, restrictions were belated and halfhearted with inevitable consequences.
I’d say it is reckless to ignore a novel virus that is causing many deaths in another country.
I believe the Westminster government has been shamefully inactive (while claiming to be “world beating”! It’s a pandemic-universal!- not the Eurovision Song Contest!!
November 17, 2021
It's succinct (112 pages without notes and index), prescient, and as a reading experience hits particularly had not just because of those two reasons, but because of its tragic circumstance as an overlooked manuscript back when we really could have used it. Reading it now is like finding the roadmap once you're no longer lost.
It does offer the barest of comforts in such dark times, however: that across pandemics through history, the same issues that outrage the average moral conscience (vaccine non-compliance, reckless superspreading, the blaming of out-groups) are prevalent. Human nature on all the aforementioned fronts remained - and remains - quite consistent from the Bubonic Plague through the Spanish flu to the present day. Of course, this is a damning indictment of our intractable foolishness, but it's also nice to know we're largely a predictable quantity that isn't teetering into an even more alarming moral decline.
Informative, very keen on mental health issues, and one-hundred-percent accurate in its predictions on how the COVID-19 pandemic would manifest, it's a short and powerful read worth it for those feeling unmoored amidst the unending turbulence.
It does offer the barest of comforts in such dark times, however: that across pandemics through history, the same issues that outrage the average moral conscience (vaccine non-compliance, reckless superspreading, the blaming of out-groups) are prevalent. Human nature on all the aforementioned fronts remained - and remains - quite consistent from the Bubonic Plague through the Spanish flu to the present day. Of course, this is a damning indictment of our intractable foolishness, but it's also nice to know we're largely a predictable quantity that isn't teetering into an even more alarming moral decline.
Informative, very keen on mental health issues, and one-hundred-percent accurate in its predictions on how the COVID-19 pandemic would manifest, it's a short and powerful read worth it for those feeling unmoored amidst the unending turbulence.
November 23, 2021
I was hoping for more from this. Still, a short if not fast read. And it is interesting since it was written just before the covid-19 pandemic started up. It'd be interesting to see a companion follow-up with predictions versus results, and whether suggestions of what would work for various issues were followed anywhere and what their effectiveness was. This is yet another book that takes the world on a topic and try to analyze it, though this one also indicates why a medical and especially mental health professional might do about it. It covers a lot of terminology, but most of it is well defined (though they could remind you occasionally what an acronym stood for). There definitely was a lot of leaning into CBT, which is something I've heard of but I'm not familiar with. The examples used in the book were clear and useful.
October 3, 2021
A very interesting book. Rather dry reading though as it is written by a college professor and geared more towards academics. Lots of facts and statistics. I think if every politician and professional health care administrator, public health official and business owner had been forced to read this at the beginning of the Covid 19 outbreak that perhaps it could have been handled in a much more efficient manner with far fewer deaths.
It very clearly outlines the psychological reasons why people react the way they do to pandemics and how they could more effectively be encouraged and supported into making more beneficial choices both for themselves and for the good of the general public.
It very clearly outlines the psychological reasons why people react the way they do to pandemics and how they could more effectively be encouraged and supported into making more beneficial choices both for themselves and for the good of the general public.
January 28, 2022
Steven Taylor was pretty spot on with a lot of his predictive human behaviour BEFORE Covid 19 was even heard of. This book was published just before reports of a strange pneumonia in Wuhan, China.
The book presented more like a first year University essay. Disappointingly, the audiobook included all the citations and disrupted the flow completely. And like an essay in structure, the author was repetitive with his examples and main points.
The Audible narrator was female with a North American accent, my least favourite to listen to. But she also spoke like someone with an allergy and that made it worse.
I should have returned it after the first quarter however, I persevered and unfortunately it maintained the same dry level.
There were a few interesting and moving anecdotes, that I’d not heard before.
However, it reads nothing like:
John M Barry’s, ‘The Great Influenza’,
Sanjay Gupta’s, ‘World War C’
or even the more sensationalised
‘Covid 19’ by Dylan Howard.
I gave it 1 star. My first real dud in 2022.
The book presented more like a first year University essay. Disappointingly, the audiobook included all the citations and disrupted the flow completely. And like an essay in structure, the author was repetitive with his examples and main points.
The Audible narrator was female with a North American accent, my least favourite to listen to. But she also spoke like someone with an allergy and that made it worse.
I should have returned it after the first quarter however, I persevered and unfortunately it maintained the same dry level.
There were a few interesting and moving anecdotes, that I’d not heard before.
However, it reads nothing like:
John M Barry’s, ‘The Great Influenza’,
Sanjay Gupta’s, ‘World War C’
or even the more sensationalised
‘Covid 19’ by Dylan Howard.
I gave it 1 star. My first real dud in 2022.
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