Background Information
Because the COVID-19 pandemic was a recent world event, tertiary resources such as encyclopedias, handbooks, and various subject-specific reference works on the subject will be harder to find. With recent events most of your resources will likely be found in newspapers, journals, and government documents and resources.
However, there are some recent subject-specific resources like Epidemics and Pandemics: From Ancient Plagues to Modern-Day Threats that could be helpful in providing some contextual information about diseases in the 21st century such as COVID-19.
Epidemics and Pandemics [2 Volumes] by
Beyond their impact on public health, epidemics shape and are shaped by political, economic, and social forces. This book examines these connections, exploring key topics in the study of disease outbreaks and delving deep into specific historical and contemporary examples.From the Black Death that ravaged Europe in the 14th century to the influenza pandemic following World War I and the novel strain of coronavirus that made "social distancing" the new normal, wide-scale disease outbreaks have played an important role throughout human history. In addition to the toll they take on human lives, epidemics have spurred medical innovations, toppled governments, crippled economies, and led to cultural revolutions.Epidemics and Pandemics: From Ancient Plagues to Modern-Day Threats provides readers with a holistic view of the terrifying--and fascinating--topic of epidemics and pandemics. In Volume 1, readers will discover what an epidemic is, how it emerges and spreads, what diseases are most likely to become epidemics, and how disease outbreaks are tracked, prevented, and combatted. They will learn about the impacts of such modern factors as global air travel and antibiotic resistance, as well as the roles played by public health agencies and the media. Volume 2 offers detailed case studies that explore the course and lasting significance of individual epidemics and pandemics throughout history.
Call Number: Online AccessPublication Date: 2021
To find references like the one above, try searching in these databases.
- Gale Virtual Reference LibraryA database of encyclopedias and specialized reference sources for multidisciplinary research.
- Oxford ReferenceAccess to all Oxfords Dictionaries, Companions, and Encyclopedias in one place, covering 25 different subject areas, with new titles and editions added throughout the year. Includes continuous updating and exclusive online-only content. Over 2 million entries in almost 450 titles.
