I'm Dr. Saline Gounder and I'm Ron Klain and this is epidemic.

On this show we'll bring you the latest news and analysis about what's happening with the

coronavirus epidemic and you'll get to hear from

some of the world's leading infectious disease and public health experts.

We'll also help you understand the bigger context. We'll bring you diverse

angles from history and anthropology to politics and

economics.

Depth and texture you won't get elsewhere.

But first a little bit about us.

Selina and I met back in 2014.

I'm an infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist.

I spent the earlier part of my career working on tuberculosis and HIV in Sub-Saharan Africa.

I later served as assistant commissioner for tuberculosis in New York City.

I started covering the Ebola epidemic in my writing and on TV in June of 2014

before I went over to Guinea as an Ebola aid worker myself.

I've worked in government for most of my career.

In October 2014, President Obama asked me to serve as the White House Ebola response coordinator.

It's a small world when it comes to people working on Ebola, so inevitably Ron and I cross paths.

It's been almost five years since that epidemic in West Africa ended.

You would think that the world and the United States would have used that time to get ready

for the next epidemic, but as we learn each day, sadly, that is not true.

As we transition from regional epidemics to a full-on pandemic,

...