Tista S. Ghosh

Another pandemic is coming. It’s only a matter of time. It could be a novel flu virus, a biological weapon, even a prehistoric virus from melting glaciers—and we are not prepared. No one wants to endure the lockdowns and social isolation, the confusion and mixed messaging, or the fear and distrust that we experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic ever again. Yet that’s exactly the path we’re headed down if we erase the last pandemic from our memories. This gripping and relatable book recounts the real-life struggles that Americans faced: a Colorado grocery store manager dealing with harassment over mask policies, an Indiana police officer encountering a growing mental health crisis, a rural Wisconsin physician fighting rising public distrust, a California company leader struggling to keep frontline workers safe, and an Ohio health official grappling with the decision to cancel the city’s largest tourist event. These and other powerful narratives not only preserve the history of the pandemic but also highlight the lessons we must learn before the next health crisis—not just politicians or scientists, but all of us.

Dr. Ghosh is a physician, epidemiologist and award-winning health journalist. She has served as the Chief Medical Officer of the state of Colorado, an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, and an appointee to the U.S. Community Preventive Services Task Force. During the height of the pandemic, she advised multiple Fortune 500 companies on keeping their workers safe. As a health journalist, her writing has been featured in outlets like Fast Company, Business Insider, Inc., the HuffPost, and KevinMD. She has also appeared as a guest expert on various media platforms, including the Today Show, CNN, the NY Times, Forbes, NPR, USAToday, Healthline, and MarketWatch. In 2021, she was honored with a media excellence award for written health journalism by the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
Her latest book, Before the Next Crisis (Columbia University Press, August 5), shares powerful stories from everyday Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic—revealing essential lessons we must learn to prepare for the next health threat.