AS India continues to be on the frontline in fighting the Coronavirus, one of the most formidable challenges emerging is the lack of reliable information — from misinformed assurances that the raging summer sun will halt the virus' spread to more dangerous beliefs about the virus only affecting the elderly, these misconceptions can not only be detrimental to the government's efforts to control the pandemic but also jeopardise personal safety. A new book, The Coronavirus: What You Need to Know about the Global Pandemic (Penguin Random House) attempts to shed some light on the nature of pandemics, including the present one. In doing so, the authors — Dr Swapneil Parikh, practising physician and founder of a healthcare start-up, Maherra Desai, clinical psychologist and medical researcher, and psychiatrist Dr Rajesh M Parikh — aim to sensitise readers to the threat of infectious diseases, while also discussing the social, economic and political implications of the present outbreak. Dr Swapneil Parikh, speaking on behalf of the authors, shares critical observations from the book. Edited excerpts:

The book draws a timeline of past pandemics. What are some of the key lessons we can learn?