The importance of the truth
Throughout the text, Osterholm emphasizes the importance of correct information and facts, especially when dealing with global pandemics and infectious diseases. He argues that people who are not informed should not speak about the matter “if you don’t know what you’re talking about, then don’t talk, or at least say you don’t know.” He also says that humanity "if given the truth... can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The great point is to bring them the real facts." Additionally, he emphasizes the reality of a pandemic is different from what we see in films, especially in the case of producing a vaccine:
"Let's get one thing straight about vaccines: It's not like in the disease outbreak thriller novels and movies. A bunch of scientists in a lab don't suddenly find the magic formula, bottle it up, and have a medical flying squad race to the scene and inject it into the arms of the stricken, who miraculously, recover in a matter of seconds or minutes."
The Deadliest Enemy
One key theme in this text is that infectious diseases are the biggest threat to humanity, according to Osterholm: "Because, in fact, infectious disease is the deadliest enemy faced by all of humankind." This is because it is "the only type [of illness] that affects us collectively, and sometimes on a mass scale." These diseases have the potential to turn into a pandemic, and therefore can "alter the day-to-day functioning of society, halt travel, trade, and industry, or foster political instability." In this text, Osterholm analyses the threat of a pandemic, and how it should be a greater priority for governments across the world.
Learning from the past
In his introduction, Osterholm introduces the idea that we must learn from the past when it comes to infectious diseases. He believes in "consequential epidemiology," which he defines in the following passage: "by attempting to change what could happen if we don't act, we can positively alter the course of history, rather than merely recording and explaining it retrospectively." Osterholm explains the experience he has had dealing with various historical viruses, and what we are able to learn from these. He also includes quotes from key historical figures at the beginning of chapters, which also represents the importance of listening to voices from the past.
