COVID-19 Resource Guide
Pandemics
A pandemic is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across large portions of several continents or even worldwide. The resources on this page will help you learn more about pandemics and other epidemics throughout history.
A small selection of electronic books are linked below. For more books (including some government publications) on epidemics and pandemics available from the WMU Libraries, use these links:
- Electronic books
- Physical print books (WMU students, faculty, and staff may have physical items mailed to their homes)
Remember to visit the Scientific Research tab for scientific journal articles on pandemics, epidemics, and COVID-19.
Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health
The article "Pandemic" from this encyclopedia provides a general overview of pandemics, including definitions, descriptions, origins and staging, and efforts and solutions.
Planning and Responding to Pandemics
Pandemic Planning by ISBN: 0429248563Publication Date: 2012-03-14Pandemic Planning describes the processes necessary for the efficient and effective preparation, prevention, response, and recovery from a pandemic threat.
Crisis Standards of Care by ISBN: 0309285534Publication Date: 2013-09-27This book, focused on health care systems, examines indicators and triggers that guide the implementation of crisis standards of care and provides a discussion toolkit to help stakeholders establish indicators and triggers for their own communities.
Influenza and Public Health: Learning from Past Pandemics by ISBN: 1136532080Publication Date: 2010-09-23This book investigates past influenza pandemics in light of today's, so as to afford critical insights into possible transmission patterns, experiences, mistakes, and interventions.
Modern Infectious Disease Epidemiology: Concepts, Methods, Mathematical Models, and Public Health by ISBN: 0387938354Publication Date: 2010-01-23This book introduces the reader to methodological aspects of epidemiology that are specific for infectious diseases. Readers will better understand the impact of infectious diseases on modern society and the instruments that policy makers have at their disposal to deal with these challenges.
Social Impact of Epidemics
Epidemics: Science, Governance, and Social Justice by ISBN: 1136532226Publication Date: 2010-09-23This book focuses on how different policy-makers, scientists, and local populations construct alternative narratives and accounts about epidemics at the global, national and local level. This book aims to bring the focus back to marginalized populations (that often suffer the most from epidemic diseases) to reveal the often unintended consequences of current policy responses to epidemics.
An Epidemic of Rumors: How Stories Shape Our Perception of Disease by ISBN: 0874219299Publication Date: 2014-03-15This book examines the common response to epidemics of constructing stories, jokes, conspiracy theories, legends, and rumors, which may be more damaging to society than the diseases themselves (often containing inaccuracies, xenophobia and racism, and medically-questionable potential cures and treatment). This book analyzes these disease narratives and explores opportunities to create counter-narratives to stymie the negative effects of the fearful rumors that so often inflame humanity.
