William C. Cockerham is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Chair Emeritus, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Research Scholar of Sociology, College of William & Mary, USA. He is the author of Medical Sociology, 15th ed. (Routledge, forthcoming); Sociological Theories of Health and Illness (Routledge, 2021); Sociology of Mental Disorder, 11th ed. (Routledge, 2021); Social Causes of Health and Disease, 3rd ed. (2021); Associate Editor-in-Chief, The International Encyclopedia of Public Health (2017); and Editor-in-Chief, Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Health, Illness, Behavior, and Society (2014).Geoffrey B. Cockerham, Associate Professor of Political Science at Utah Valley University, is the author of Global Governance and Public Health (2018) and Health and Globalization (2010).

• ContentsPart I. Introduction Preparing for the Next Pandemic Identifying Airborne Transmission as the Dominant Route for the Spread of COVID-19 Asymptomatic Transmission, the Achilles’ Heel of Current Strategies to Control Covid-19Part II. The Origin in China Pangolins Harbor SARS-CoV-2-Related Coronaviruses The Epidemiological and Clinical Features of COVID-19 and Lessons from this Global Infectious Public Health Event Authoritarianism, Outbreaks, and Information Politics China’s Diplomacy and Changing the COVID-19 Narrative Part III. Europe First Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the WHO European Region, 24 January to 21 February 2020 Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality: Are Comorbidities to Blame? Nudges Against Pandemics: Sweden’s COVID-19 Containment Strategy in Perspective Herd immunity or suppression strategy to combat COVID-19Part IV. United States and Canada Public Health Response to the Initiation and Spread of Pandemic COVID-19 in the United States, February 24–April 21, 2020 Characteristics of Persons Who Died with COVID-19 — United States, February 12–May 18, 2020 States Divided: The Implications of American Federalism for COVID-19 Shelter-In-Place Orders Reduced COVID-19 Mortality and Reduced The Rate Of Growth In Hospitalizations Strong Social Distancing Measures in the United States Reduced the COVID-19 Growth Rate Understanding COVID-19 Risks and Vulnerabilities among Black Communities in America: The Lethal Force of Syndemics Early Signs Indicate That COVID-19 is Exacerbating Gender Inequality in the Labor Force Visualizing the Geographic and Demographic Distribution of COVID-19 Part V. Latin America and Africa In the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil, Do Brown Lives Matter?" The Colliding Epidemics of COVID-19, Ebola, and Measles in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Africa in the Path of Covid-19 Part VI. Resolution Why do countries respond differently to COVID-19? A comparative study of Sweden, China, France, and Japan How Pandemics End

William C. Cockerham is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Chair Emeritus, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Research Scholar of Sociology, College of William & Mary, USA. He is the author of Medical Sociology, 15th ed. (Routledge, forthcoming); Sociological Theories of Health and Illness (Routledge, 2021); Sociology of Mental Disorder, 11th ed. (Routledge, 2021); Social Causes of Health and Disease, 3rd ed. (2021); Associate Editor-in-Chief, The International Encyclopedia of Public Health (2017); and Editor-in-Chief, Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Health, Illness, Behavior, and Society (2014).Geoffrey B. Cockerham, Associate Professor of Political Science at Utah Valley University, is the author of Global Governance and Public Health (2018) and Health and Globalization (2010).

• ContentsPart I. Introduction Preparing for the Next Pandemic Identifying Airborne Transmission as the Dominant Route for the Spread of COVID-19 Asymptomatic Transmission, the Achilles’ Heel of Current Strategies to Control Covid-19Part II. The Origin in China Pangolins Harbor SARS-CoV-2-Related Coronaviruses The Epidemiological and Clinical Features of COVID-19 and Lessons from this Global Infectious Public Health Event Authoritarianism, Outbreaks, and Information Politics China’s Diplomacy and Changing the COVID-19 Narrative Part III. Europe First Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the WHO European Region, 24 January to 21 February 2020 Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality: Are Comorbidities to Blame? Nudges Against Pandemics: Sweden’s COVID-19 Containment Strategy in Perspective Herd immunity or suppression strategy to combat COVID-19Part IV. United States and Canada Public Health Response to the Initiation and Spread of Pandemic COVID-19 in the United States, February 24–April 21, 2020 Characteristics of Persons Who Died with COVID-19 — United States, February 12–May 18, 2020 States Divided: The Implications of American Federalism for COVID-19 Shelter-In-Place Orders Reduced COVID-19 Mortality and Reduced The Rate Of Growth In Hospitalizations Strong Social Distancing Measures in the United States Reduced the COVID-19 Growth Rate Understanding COVID-19 Risks and Vulnerabilities among Black Communities in America: The Lethal Force of Syndemics Early Signs Indicate That COVID-19 is Exacerbating Gender Inequality in the Labor Force Visualizing the Geographic and Demographic Distribution of COVID-19 Part V. Latin America and Africa In the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil, Do Brown Lives Matter?" The Colliding Epidemics of COVID-19, Ebola, and Measles in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Africa in the Path of Covid-19 Part VI. Resolution Why do countries respond differently to COVID-19? A comparative study of Sweden, China, France, and Japan How Pandemics End

William C. Cockerham is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Chair Emeritus, University of Alabama at Birmingham, and Research Scholar of Sociology, College of William & Mary, USA. He is the author of Medical Sociology, 15th ed. (Routledge, forthcoming); Sociological Theories of Health and Illness (Routledge, 2021); Sociology of Mental Disorder, 11th ed. (Routledge, 2021); Social Causes of Health and Disease, 3rd ed. (2021); Associate Editor-in-Chief, The International Encyclopedia of Public Health (2017); and Editor-in-Chief, Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Health, Illness, Behavior, and Society (2014).Geoffrey B. Cockerham, Associate Professor of Political Science at Utah Valley University, is the author of Global Governance and Public Health (2018) and Health and Globalization (2010).

• ContentsPart I. Introduction Preparing for the Next Pandemic Identifying Airborne Transmission as the Dominant Route for the Spread of COVID-19 Asymptomatic Transmission, the Achilles’ Heel of Current Strategies to Control Covid-19Part II. The Origin in China Pangolins Harbor SARS-CoV-2-Related Coronaviruses The Epidemiological and Clinical Features of COVID-19 and Lessons from this Global Infectious Public Health Event Authoritarianism, Outbreaks, and Information Politics China’s Diplomacy and Changing the COVID-19 Narrative Part III. Europe First Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the WHO European Region, 24 January to 21 February 2020 Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality: Are Comorbidities to Blame? Nudges Against Pandemics: Sweden’s COVID-19 Containment Strategy in Perspective Herd immunity or suppression strategy to combat COVID-19Part IV. United States and Canada Public Health Response to the Initiation and Spread of Pandemic COVID-19 in the United States, February 24–April 21, 2020 Characteristics of Persons Who Died with COVID-19 — United States, February 12–May 18, 2020 States Divided: The Implications of American Federalism for COVID-19 Shelter-In-Place Orders Reduced COVID-19 Mortality and Reduced The Rate Of Growth In Hospitalizations Strong Social Distancing Measures in the United States Reduced the COVID-19 Growth Rate Understanding COVID-19 Risks and Vulnerabilities among Black Communities in America: The Lethal Force of Syndemics Early Signs Indicate That COVID-19 is Exacerbating Gender Inequality in the Labor Force Visualizing the Geographic and Demographic Distribution of COVID-19 Part V. Latin America and Africa In the COVID-19 Pandemic in Brazil, Do Brown Lives Matter?" The Colliding Epidemics of COVID-19, Ebola, and Measles in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Africa in the Path of Covid-19 Part VI. Resolution Why do countries respond differently to COVID-19? A comparative study of Sweden, China, France, and Japan How Pandemics End