PH Current Reads: Infectious Disease

Use our guide to reflect on each of the works from this section.

The Fever: How Malaria Has Shaped Humanity by Sonia Shah

Co-evolution of humans and disease, human intervention and unintended consequences, inequitable burden of disease

Reflection Questions:

1. How did learning about the history of malaria change your perspective on the disease and its impact on human civilization?

2. Sonia Shah argues that our relationship with malaria has been one of constant adaptation, rather than eradication. Do you agree with this premise, and what are the implications for how we approach global health crises today?

3. Discuss the ethical and social dilemmas presented by historical and contemporary malaria interventions, such as the use of DDT and the Gates Foundation's efforts.

Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Márquez

Social and political context of disease, disease and mortality as a catalyst, emotional, mental, and physical manifestations of infirmity 

Reflection Questions:

1. Gabriel García Márquez uses the cholera epidemic as a backdrop for the story, but it also functions as a metaphor. What do you think the cholera represents in the novel, and how does it relate to the themes of love, aging, and memory?

2. How does the book's portrayal of illness and public health compare to the scientific realities you learned about in The Fever? What do these differences say about the role of fiction versus nonfiction in understanding disease?

3. Fermina Daza and Florentino Ariza's love story is a long, complicated one. How does the social and historical context of the cholera epidemic influence their relationship and the decisions they make?

Virus (2019) directed by Aashiq Abu

Danger of misinformation and stigma, community and social responsibility, heroism of ordinary people during times of crisis

Reflection Questions:

1. The film focuses on the human element of the Nipah virus outbreak in Kerala, India. How does the movie's approach to storytelling, which highlights the personal sacrifices of healthcare workers and community members, differ from a more scientific or historical account of an epidemic?

2. The film portrays the challenges of a public health crisis in a developing country, including misinformation and social panic. How are these themes evident in the world we live in today?

3. The film is based on a real-life event. How does knowing this impact your experience of watching the movie, and what does it say about the importance of accurate, yet emotionally compelling, portrayals of public health events?

General Reflection & Comparison

1. All three works explore how humans cope with infectious disease. What are the key differences in their perspectives? For example, how does a work of nonfiction, a fictional novel, and a docudrama each shape our understanding of a pandemic?

2. Consider the role of fear and hope in each work. How is the public's response to an epidemic portrayed in each, and what factors (scientific knowledge, political action, or human connection) seem to be the most powerful in overcoming it?

3. From the lens of these three works, what does it mean to be a hero in the context of an epidemic? Are the heroes the same in each work, or do their actions and motivations differ?