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Flash Forward

The Very Big Sick

Flash Forward

Flash Forward Presents

Science

4.81.6K Ratings

🗓️ 3 July 2018

⏱️ 53 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1918, the Spanish flu killed four to five percent of the entire global population. Infectious disease experts all agree that another pandemic is coming. It's when, not if. But are we ready for it? Today's episode explores what happens when a pandemic strikes, what the most likely candidates are, and whether or not the world is ready. Guests: Ed Yong, science writer at The Atlantic Nahid Bhadelia, assistant professor at Boston University School of Medicine and the Medical Director of Special Pathogens Unit (SPU) at Boston Medical Center Laura Spinney, science writer and author of Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World Nicola Twilley, co-host of Gastropod and author of a forthcoming book on quarantine Further Reading: The Next Plague is Coming. Is America Ready? Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World Yuuyaraq: The Way of the Human Being by Harold Napoleon Strengthening Health Systems While Responding to a Health Crisis: Lessons Learned by a Nongovernmental Organization During the Ebola Virus Disease Epidemic in Sierra Leone Medicine’s Long, Thin Supply Chain What Bill Gates Fears Most Predicting virus emergence amid evolutionary noise Nebraska’s Biocontainment Unit The Terrifying Lessons of a Pandemic Simulation Clade X Livestream CDC Director: Why I Don’t Support A Travel Ban To Combat The Ebola Outbreak Protecting the Public's Health from Diseases, Disasters and Bioterrorism How prepared is the world for the next epidemic? This tool shows most countries are not. Flash Forward is produced by me, Rose Eveleth. The intro music is by Asura and the outtro music is by Hussalonia. The voices from the future this episode were provided by Paul Krueger, Sean Raines, and Sameer Ajmani. The episode art is by Matt Lubchansky. Get in touch: Twitter, Facebook, info@flashforwardpod.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello and I'm your host.

0:03.0

Flash Forward is a show.

0:04.0

Flash forward is a show. Welcome to Flash Forward. I'm Rose and I'm your host.

0:13.7

Flash Forward is a show about the future.

0:16.2

Every episode we take on a specific possible,

0:19.1

or not so possible future scenario.

0:22.4

We always start with a little field trip to the future

0:25.0

to check out what's going on and then we teleport back to today to talk to real

0:29.5

experts about how that world that we just heard might really go down.

0:35.0

Got it?

0:36.0

Great.

0:37.0

This episode we're starting in the year 2033. Oh, case here

1:05.0

copy location

1:08.0

Buckeye Road corner of line and Buckeye condition not good stand by Condition? Not good. Stand by.

1:14.0

A recent outbreak of a mysterious disease has continued to spread from Florida out to nearby states. Doctors say that symptoms include

1:25.0

aching joints, nausea, diarrhea, blurry vision, and headaches. Thus far the virus has

1:31.0

claimed three lives and experts are unsure of where the disease came from.

1:35.0

We'll keep you updated as we learn more.

1:37.0

I've got a case of the new thing coming into the quarantine in five minutes.

1:43.0

Copy, patient details.

1:45.0

Mail, six foot, blonde, rash on his upper shoulder.

1:50.0

Copy, we're ready for them.

...

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