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A review by pushingdessy
Patient Zero and the Making of the AIDS Epidemic by Richard A. McKay
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
This was a phenomenal work of historical research AND a clear, engaging science comms book. I wasn’t sure about reading about queer history in North America when my knowledge of queer history in my own country is sorely lacking and should be prioritized, but the premise of this book tickled the part of my brain that was interested once upon a time in understanding science as a social construct.
McKay examines the origin of the concept “patient zero”. We’re so familiar with it today that it seems like common sense to believe this term has always been part of epidemiology speech, particularly since, as McKay shows, humans have historically looked for the “original sinner” to carry the blame of disease. But the concept only came to be as a result of research on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which was later taken out of context and wildly popularized by Randy Shilts' book “And the band played on”. Not only that, but the alleged patient zero, a man called Gaétan Dugas, was also brought out of anonymity and mischaracterized posthumously, his privacy invaded to fit a particular narrative.
The book opens with a historical tracing of the idea of a patient zero during previous public health crisis long before the concept was used. Then, it goes on to contextualize the beginnings of AIDS research in the US, including the cluster study from which the concept originated. This was really fascinating to me, seeing the ways in which public communication of science, in an effort to make science understandable to a lay audience, can get it wrong in indelible ways. But it also made me feel a little hopeless, and a little embarrassed as well, seeing as we’re fresh from a world-wide pandemic in which I wasn’t free from blaming “the outsiders who brought the virus into the country”, and how we continue to make these same mistakes (“we”, the general public, yes, but more importantly, “we”, the governments who should fucking do better).
McKay then moves on the examine the writing process and reception of Shilts' book, both in the US and in Canada, delving into the Canadian context of the epidemic. I haven’t read or watched “And the band played on”, and after reading this, I don’t think I ever will. Further, McKay compares the use given to the character of Dugas by Shilts and the USAmerican press with that of the Canadian film “Zero Patience” and an inquiry about the Canadian blood system.
The book ends by offering a different portrait of Dugas' character and lived experience that seeks to correct the media’s exploitative coverage. I admit this last part made me tear up.
Overall, an excellent read, even if you (like me) are not familiar with Shilts' work and impact.
McKay examines the origin of the concept “patient zero”. We’re so familiar with it today that it seems like common sense to believe this term has always been part of epidemiology speech, particularly since, as McKay shows, humans have historically looked for the “original sinner” to carry the blame of disease. But the concept only came to be as a result of research on the HIV/AIDS epidemic, which was later taken out of context and wildly popularized by Randy Shilts' book “And the band played on”. Not only that, but the alleged patient zero, a man called Gaétan Dugas, was also brought out of anonymity and mischaracterized posthumously, his privacy invaded to fit a particular narrative.
The book opens with a historical tracing of the idea of a patient zero during previous public health crisis long before the concept was used. Then, it goes on to contextualize the beginnings of AIDS research in the US, including the cluster study from which the concept originated. This was really fascinating to me, seeing the ways in which public communication of science, in an effort to make science understandable to a lay audience, can get it wrong in indelible ways. But it also made me feel a little hopeless, and a little embarrassed as well, seeing as we’re fresh from a world-wide pandemic in which I wasn’t free from blaming “the outsiders who brought the virus into the country”, and how we continue to make these same mistakes (“we”, the general public, yes, but more importantly, “we”, the governments who should fucking do better).
McKay then moves on the examine the writing process and reception of Shilts' book, both in the US and in Canada, delving into the Canadian context of the epidemic. I haven’t read or watched “And the band played on”, and after reading this, I don’t think I ever will. Further, McKay compares the use given to the character of Dugas by Shilts and the USAmerican press with that of the Canadian film “Zero Patience” and an inquiry about the Canadian blood system.
The book ends by offering a different portrait of Dugas' character and lived experience that seeks to correct the media’s exploitative coverage. I admit this last part made me tear up.
Overall, an excellent read, even if you (like me) are not familiar with Shilts' work and impact.