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SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE PRIZE 2022
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2022
THE TIMES SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR
A GUARDIAN BEST POLITICS BOOK OF THE YEAR
A TOP 5 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
*Revised and updated edition with new chapter reflecting on the impact of Covid-19 two years on, and what come next*
Did the UK government really 'follow the science' throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, as it claims?
As head of the Wellcome Trust, Jeremy Farrar was one of the first people in the world to hear about a mysterious new disease in China - and to learn it could readily spread between people. A member of the SAGE emergency committee, Farrar was a key figure in both the UK and the World Health Organization at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic amid great uncertainty, fast-moving situations and missed opportunities. Spike is his widely acclaimed inside story. His account casts light on the UK government's claims to be 'following the science' and is informed not just by Farrar's views but by interviews with other top scientists and political figures.
About the author
Sir Jeremy Farrar is director of the Wellcome Trust and chair of the WHO's R&D Blueprint, which activates rapid research in an epidemic. He is an expert on emerging infectious diseases and a member of the UK's pandemic advisory group, SAGE. He was one of the first people in the world to know about and alert the global community to Covid-19.Anjana Ahuja is the Financial Times science columnist and holds a PhD in space physics.
Summary
One of the first books on Covid-19 from an expert in emerging infectious disease.
Foreword
First book on Covid-19 by a scientist on SAGE, assessing how the government 'followed the science'
Report
An explosive book about what he witnessed inside government The Times
