New and updated second edition contains an afterword on COVID-19, looking at the origins and nature of the virus, and how governments across the globe dealt with the most serious public health emergency in a century Discusses topical issues such as the development of vaccinations and the need for public healthcare to be in the public sector, rather than run by private companies The need for international cooperation in tackling future pandemics has never been greater, as the impact of COVID-19 has shown Offers a fascinating insight into an important area of social history, providing an accessibleintroduction to disease and the ongoing quest to protect human health Covers: the earliest bacteria to evolve on the primordial Earth, how coming down from the trees exposed early humans to a whole new range of micro-organisms, how agriculture resulted in diseases crossing from animals to humans, diagnoses made from ancient bones as scientists strive to work out when certain diseases arose, speculation about Biblical plagues, human efforts to combat diseases, and much more Sean Martin is the author of several other successful Pocket Essentials, including The Knights Templar, The Cathars, The Gnostics, The Black Death& Alchemy and Alchemists.