Summary of How the Pandemic Defeated America

Ed Yong

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How the Pandemic Defeated America summary

Editorial Rating

The rating – what does it mean?

At getAbstract, we summarize books* that help people understand the world and make it better. Whatever we select for our library has to excel in one or the other of these two core criteria:

Enlightening – You’ll learn things that will inform and improve your decisions.

Helpful – You’ll take-away practical advice that will help you get better at what you do.

We rate each piece of content on a scale of 1–10 with regard to these two core criteria. Our rating helps you sort the titles on your reading list from solid (5) to brilliant (10). Books we rate below 5 won’t be summarized. Here's what the ratings mean:

10 – Brilliant. A helpful and/or enlightening book that, in addition to meeting the highest standards in all pertinent aspects, stands out even among the best. Often an instant classic and must-read for everyone.
9 – Superb. A helpful and/or enlightening book that is extremely well rounded, has many strengths and no shortcomings worth mentioning.
8 – Very good. A helpful and/or enlightening book that has a substantial number of outstanding qualities without excelling across the board, e.g. presents the latest findings in a topical field and is written by a renowned expert but lacks a bit in style.
7 – Good. A helpful and/or enlightening book that combines two or more noteworthy strengths, e.g. contains uncommonly novel ideas and presents them in an engaging manner.
6 – Notable. A helpful and/or enlightening book that stands out by at least one aspect, e.g. is particularly well structured.
5 – Solid. A helpful and/or enlightening book, in spite of its obvious shortcomings. For instance, it may offer decent advice in some areas while being repetitive or unremarkable in others.

*getAbstract is summarizing much more than books. We look at every kind of content that may matter to our audience: books, but also articles, reports, videos and podcasts. What we say here about books applies to all formats we cover.

Qualities

Analytical
Applicable
Bold

While the rating tells you how good a book is according to our two core criteria, it says nothing about its particular defining features. Therefore, we use a set of 20 qualities to characterize each book by its strengths:

Applicable – You’ll get advice that can be directly applied in the workplace or in everyday situations.
Analytical – You’ll understand the inner workings of the subject matter.
Background – You’ll get contextual knowledge as a frame for informed action or analysis.
Bold – You’ll find arguments that may break with predominant views.
Comprehensive – You’ll find every aspect of the subject matter covered.
Concrete Examples – You’ll get practical advice illustrated with examples of real-world applications or anecdotes.
Controversial – You’ll be confronted with strongly debated opinions.
Eloquent – You’ll enjoy a masterfully written or presented text.
Engaging – You’ll read or watch this all the way through the end.
Eye opening – You’ll be offered highly surprising insights.
For beginners – You’ll find this to be a good primer if you’re a learner with little or no prior experience/knowledge.
For experts – You’ll get the higher-level knowledge/instructions you need as an expert.
Hot Topic – You’ll find yourself in the middle of a highly debated issue.
Innovative – You can expect some truly fresh ideas and insights on brand-new products or trends.
Insider’s take – You’ll have the privilege of learning from someone who knows her or his topic inside-out.
Inspiring – You’ll want to put into practice what you’ve read immediately.
Overview – You’ll get a broad treatment of the subject matter, mentioning all its major aspects.
Scientific – You’ll get facts and figures grounded in scientific research.
Visionary – You’ll get a glimpse of the future and what it might mean for you.
Well structured – You’ll find this to be particularly well organized to support its reception or application.

Recommendation

The United States failed to protect its people from the SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and widespread economic calamity. Despite an administration that disrespects expertise, a dysfunctional health care system and a gutted social safety net, Ed Yong argues in The Atlantic that this disaster was not inevitable. Yong discusses the coronavirus pandemic’s medical, public health and political implications. He concludes that the scale and scope of the United States’ failure proves difficult to assess.

About the Author

Staff writer at The Atlantic Ed Yong covers science. He is the author of I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life.

Summary

Despite ample warning, the United States failed to bring the coronavirus under control.

The United States had ample warning of the coronavirus pandemic, and vast financial and scientific resources, but failed to provide a coherent response. Unlike South Korea, Iceland, New Zealand and Australia, among other nations, the United States didn’t quickly push the rate of infections downward. By the summer, the country faced a resurgence. The United States cannot return to the pre-pandemic status quo. In fact, COVID-19 provides only a taste of worse pandemics in the future.

People and nations can avoid pandemics in one of two ways. Preventing them from occurring would be ideal, but near impossible – there are countless viruses in the world, and it only takes the right one under the right circumstances to spur a pandemic. Early on, China understated the danger and transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2, and the World Health Organization jumped in. The United States played a significant – negative – role. The United States had abandoned important international organizations, left its seat on the World Health Organization empty at a crucial moment, gutted the Centers for Disease Control...

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