CJ Parsons

“This book delves deeper than the cold, hard data found in scholarly articles… With compassion and curiosity, it seeks to reveal the human side of the crisis.” That’s what “Pandemic Minds” says in the forward, and Kate Whitehead’s book does just that. With varied – but equally harrowing – personal stories from those whose lives were suddenly upended by the pandemic: a pregnant woman locked up in a quarantine facility, unable to make contact with her captors when food fails to arrive. She presses the emergency button in her room… and nothing happens; a man torn apart by the death of his father, forced to spend weeks in complete isolation while grappling with grief; residents of a building that suddenly becomes a prison guarded by police who tell them they cannot leave – even to buy food. Little wonder that a new pandemic followed in the wake of Covid – a pandemic of mental health that saw depression and anxiety soar, even as outbreaks of violent crime shocked the city. “Pandemic Minds” is the only book that explores the psychological impact of the pandemic in Hong Kong, with its unusually harsh Covid measures. It’s gripping, alarming and important – it is ultimately hopeful, offering lessons for the future. Kate Whitehead brings together sharp, vivid writing, keen investigative skills and a deep, professional understanding of mental health and trauma to create an urgently needed book with a message that resonates far beyond the borders of Hong Kong. Everyone should read this.