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Anjana Ahuja
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Spike: The Virus vs. The People - the Inside Story Kindle Edition

by Jeremy Farrar (Author), Anjana Ahuja (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 437 ratings
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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.

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  1. Print length
    273 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Profile Books
  4. Publication date
    July 22, 2021
  5. File size
    905 KB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B08X671H6M
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Profile Books; Main edition (July 22, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 22, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 905 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 273 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 437 ratings

About the author

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Anjana Ahuja

Anjana Ahuja

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
437 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

paradocs2
5.0 out of 5 stars The Shocking Truth
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2021
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This is really a diary with names, dates and times how knowledge of the covid-19 evolved, how Britain's scientific establishment developed policy and how political leadership failed disastrously. As Chief Medical Officer/Director of the Wellcome Trust and an experienced infectious disease doc , Farrar was plugged into leading health and intelligence personnel around the world. The shocking thing is that by the end of March, 2020 sophisticated public health experts who were paying attention knew that the virus was spread by asymptomatic people and likely by droplet or aerosols and not by touching objects. All the temperature taking, symptom reviews and hand washing and sanitizers were Bull Pucky!
5 people found this helpful
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Inbaraja S. Krishnan
5.0 out of 5 stars A must-read
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2021
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The story of the unsung heroes who alerted the world to COVID-19, in late December 2019 and early January 2020, needs to be told. "Spike: The Virus vs. The People" written by Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome Trust, is a must read and depicts the brave efforts of these virologists amidst harrowing threats by the Chinese government to silence them. An intriguing tale also involves MI5, the FBI and Australia's ASIO, and a paper slated for publication in Nature in January 2020 based on a genome sequence of a sample taken from a Wuhan patient on 3 January that points to human-to-human transmission.
One person found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars An exciting narration of tragedy, science, politics and hope.
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2022
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I wanted a comprehensive insight to how the COVID-19 pandemic came to be and how scientific, political and financial interests become too close, at the the cost of the public’s health.
2 people found this helpful
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Denise
5.0 out of 5 stars An unique and interesting perspective of the behind-the-scenes of the pandemic!!
Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2022
Spike is one of the best books on the pandemic I've read! If you would like to learn about the behind-the-scenes of the pandemic and the inside of the decision making, this book is for you.
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Jeff Noble
2.0 out of 5 stars An interesting perspective from the UK but hasn’t aged well
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2022
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An enlightening stroll through a frontliner with a vastly different worldview and opinion than I do. Published in mid-2021, some of his assertions have not aged well. I encourage the book to be read and digested as a helpful perspective to understand the reasoning behind support of lockdowns, mass vaccination, etc. Because I have read widely for the past two years on the subject, I was sad to read of Farrar and WHO, WEF and SAGE leaders refusing to consider available drug remedies and therapeutic treatments or consider dissenting science and data. He was definitely tunnel-visioned, advocating world vaccination as the only viable exit strategy.
15 people found this helpful
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EHubb
1.0 out of 5 stars Delusional garbage
Reviewed in the United States on December 18, 2022
Don't waste your time, Farrar belongs in the Chinese CCP, not in any sort of democratic, western society that values real science.
7 people found this helpful
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Jeffrey Paley
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing. Buy RFK Jr.s book instead
Reviewed in the United States on February 8, 2022
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Same old outdated crap re pandemic……Trump bad, China trustworthy, HCQ bad, WHO good, etc. Interesting history of how UK dealt with the pandemic, but totally not relevant to latest developments. Buy “The Real Anthony Fauci” instead.
29 people found this helpful
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Joe
5.0 out of 5 stars Eyes Wide Open
Reviewed in the United States on August 23, 2021
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As tragic as the COVID 19 pandemic has been, this book succinctly highlights: the failures of our existing political systems, the foibles of humans to cling to confirmation bias, the amazingly talented global network of scientists available to protect and bailout our societies, and the ever pressing need for a long term, well funded plan to prepare for the next - likely more deadly - pandemic that is certain to follow. We as informed members of our global community must support the work of those possessing the skills necessary to protect us from the predictable, yet unknown, future viral threats emerging from the animal kingdom. This piece makes it clear that global political figures must exhibit the leadership by raising their courage to meet the need for honest communications with the public. Without this, we cannot expect society to understand the nature or need of the required sacrifice. The irony in that two of the highest ranked nations for bio security (US and UK) could end up with such high death tolls compared to other nations cast a spotlight on the failure of our political systems to deal in facts and science when so much political success today comes from “alternative facts” and obscuration of science. This work makes if very clear that our global success in meeting the global challenges threatening human existence require honesty about the science because threats like climate change, viruses and water shortages are rooted in science that doesn’t give a damn about opinions any more that the laws of physics do. We as a global people need to demand better from our leaders so that scientist and their important work can intelligently guide policies that could have with COVID, but moving forward will save lives, as we meet future threats.
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Top reviews from other countries

Tony Edmonds
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping truthful story told from the inside
Reviewed in Canada on August 28, 2021
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Science has struggled first to understand Covid and secondly to get UK and world politicians to understand science's message and to respond appropriately.
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Duttakripa
4.0 out of 5 stars An inside view: science vs policy
Reviewed in India on October 16, 2021
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While, it is good to see a book around the topic of COVID, it’s not as much about the virus vs people, as much the book speaks more about science and policy makers or the deterrents around them. It did give a sense of how fragmented and complicated the process of decision making is when it relates to such global issues. But it was also reinforcing to note that the science in the end did come to the rescue. And also that the pandemic has indeed resulted in a massive restructuring of health and priorities at global level. A good read.
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Mike MacPherson
5.0 out of 5 stars mounting evidence
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2021
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I read this after watching the Cumming-Kuensberg TV interview. How much of what Cumming claims would be corroborated by an independent scientist? The Answer is too much to be discounted as score-settling. Farrar writes clearly and to the point. He hardly wastes a word and this makes his account the more compelling. He's not a brilliant scientist with a deep understanding of the biology of pandemics but instead brings almost a lifetime of experience working in SE Asia usually catching up with hitherto poorly understood diseases. His viewpoint remains that of a very worried clinician, desperate to find effective ways to halt global spread. This is not an uninvolved account, he writes as he feels and I found this all the more compelling. The cases for an immediate public inquiry conducted at the highest legal standards is well made. I expect other accounts - especially from Vallance and Whitty - will be scrutinized. It seems unlikely these can differ much from what Farrar has given. He provides substantial ways to cross-check each observation and as far as I can tell has no cause for seeking revenge, just an earnest desire for the truth and alarm that unless lessons are learnt now, another pandemic is inevitable.
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seahorse
5.0 out of 5 stars is anybody listening
Reviewed in Australia on January 1, 2022
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despite reading widely reported failures in the management of covid I found the contents of this book astounding and frightening. I fear for our future than lessons haven’t been learned. it should be compulsory reading for all world leaders. what in gods name are they thinking.
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ky
4.0 out of 5 stars Another Interesting Chronology of Pandemic History
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 8, 2022
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In a few places Farrar helped with nudging things along in the response to the Pandemic. I sense an attempt at self justification in some of the narrative where he feels he could have done more?
Farrar’s version of events confirms what was already known about Hancock and Johnson’s culpability for many of the avoidable UK deaths during the pandemic. ‘Failures of State’, by Jonathan Calvert & George Arbuthnott make a similar charge and Farrar’s account of events corroborates it.
In both books, as well as in ‘What Really Happened in Wuhan’, and ‘Viral’, political incompetence in many countries is excruciating to read, China, UK, USA etc. Farrar is one of many witnesses to Johnson’s executive dithering and delay that cost the UK billions in avoidable economic damage. Had Johnson been a company director, and UK Plc a company, he would be personally criminally liable, under Health & Safety legislation.
It is equally heartening to read Farrar’s accounts of, Taiwan, South Korea, and New Zealand, who each demonstrated admirable political leadership and competence which saved both lives and emeliorated economic damage.
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