human body wrapped in plastic on hospital bed.

How devastating pandemics change us

Deadly outbreaks have plagued societies for centuries. But they can lead to medical breakthroughs—if we learn the right lessons from them.

The body of a suspected COVID-19 victim lies in an Indonesian hospital. After the patient died, nurses wrapped the body in layers of plastic and applied disinfectant to prevent the spread of the virus.

Photograph by JOSHUA IRWANDI
This story appears in the August 2020 issue of National Geographic magazine.
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