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After Covid: The Health Impacts That Will Last Generations
A gripping investigation into the Covid-19 pandemic's lasting effects on our bodies, systems, and trust in science.
The Covid-19 pandemic may have faded from headlines, but its shadow remains. In After Covid, award-winning journalist Jason Gale delivers a gripping, deeply researched account of a crisis that has fundamentally changed the world, and continues to reshape it in ways we're only beginning to understand.
In this riveting account of the pandemic and its devastating ripple effects, Gale captures the pandemic's messy realities—the panic it spurred, the misinformation and political infighting that stood in the way of controlling it, and the heroic efforts by scientists and health care workers to contain it. Gale exposes what went wrong, what worked, and what continues to threaten us. From the pandemic's chaotic beginnings to the hidden toll of Long Covid, he examines how governments shaped—and sometimes warped—the public narrative around the pandemic. He documents the consequences still the rise of chronic illness, the erosion of healthcare systems, the deepening mental health crisis, and the dangerous spread of anti-science extremism.
This book is a powerful, evidence-based reminder that pandemics don't end when case numbers fall. They linger in damaged bodies, strained institutions, and collective memory. Gale connects the dots between lingering symptoms and systemic failure, offering a sweeping view of what's at stake if we choose to forget. After Covid urges readers to confront the true scope of the pandemic's legacy—and the vulnerabilities it has revealed in our systems, societies, and selves.
The Covid-19 pandemic may have faded from headlines, but its shadow remains. In After Covid, award-winning journalist Jason Gale delivers a gripping, deeply researched account of a crisis that has fundamentally changed the world, and continues to reshape it in ways we're only beginning to understand.
In this riveting account of the pandemic and its devastating ripple effects, Gale captures the pandemic's messy realities—the panic it spurred, the misinformation and political infighting that stood in the way of controlling it, and the heroic efforts by scientists and health care workers to contain it. Gale exposes what went wrong, what worked, and what continues to threaten us. From the pandemic's chaotic beginnings to the hidden toll of Long Covid, he examines how governments shaped—and sometimes warped—the public narrative around the pandemic. He documents the consequences still the rise of chronic illness, the erosion of healthcare systems, the deepening mental health crisis, and the dangerous spread of anti-science extremism.
This book is a powerful, evidence-based reminder that pandemics don't end when case numbers fall. They linger in damaged bodies, strained institutions, and collective memory. Gale connects the dots between lingering symptoms and systemic failure, offering a sweeping view of what's at stake if we choose to forget. After Covid urges readers to confront the true scope of the pandemic's legacy—and the vulnerabilities it has revealed in our systems, societies, and selves.
408 pages, Hardcover
Published March 3, 2026
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67 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
April 13, 2026
It is said that history is written by the winners. In "After Covid," Peter Gale has made it clear that he is on the winning side, the side that believes that Covid is over. Gale clearly lays out the fact that the pandemic was terrible, that many suffered, and that some continue to suffer. However, he conveniently uses the past tense to ensure that the pandemic is in the rearview mirror. Yes, we have to prepare for new pandemics, but we've wrapped this one up in a neat bow. Unfortunately, though he is known as a science journalist, Gale presents virtually no scientific evidence that this is actually the case.
In fact, the many medical issues that he outlines in the past tense are still wreaking havoc with people's health today. We have plentiful evidence from renowned scientists that population health is actually worsening, but Gale makes no mention of current science. For Gale, Covid's over and done with. Although he does not say it directly, he seems to believe that the vaccines have solved the problem, instead of being just one of the tools needed. He states that ventilation and clean air are important, but completely ignores the fact that efforts to improve the air are being ignored and indeed stymied. Masks are only mentioned within the context of past events. His cavalier description of how long Covid patients are treated is infuriating in its superficiality.
I hope that one day, this book will be recognized for what it is: a work of denialism whose value lies in ensuring that people go back to work and shut their eyes to an ongoing, deepening pandemic. Gale is a spokeperson for "back to normal" at any cost.
I highly suggest you not buy this book and instead donate the money to your local mask bloc or long Covid activist group. It will be money much better spent.
In fact, the many medical issues that he outlines in the past tense are still wreaking havoc with people's health today. We have plentiful evidence from renowned scientists that population health is actually worsening, but Gale makes no mention of current science. For Gale, Covid's over and done with. Although he does not say it directly, he seems to believe that the vaccines have solved the problem, instead of being just one of the tools needed. He states that ventilation and clean air are important, but completely ignores the fact that efforts to improve the air are being ignored and indeed stymied. Masks are only mentioned within the context of past events. His cavalier description of how long Covid patients are treated is infuriating in its superficiality.
I hope that one day, this book will be recognized for what it is: a work of denialism whose value lies in ensuring that people go back to work and shut their eyes to an ongoing, deepening pandemic. Gale is a spokeperson for "back to normal" at any cost.
I highly suggest you not buy this book and instead donate the money to your local mask bloc or long Covid activist group. It will be money much better spent.
Displaying 1 of 1 review