SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE PRIZE 2022SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2022THE TIMES SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEARA GUARDIAN BEST POLITICS BOOK OF THE YEARA TOP 5 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER*Revised and updated edition with new chapter reflecting on the impact of Covid-19 two years on, and what come next*Did the UK government really 'follow the science' throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, as it claims?As head of the Wellcome Trust, Jeremy Farrar was one of the first people in the world to hear about a mysterious new disease in China - and to learn it could readily spread between people. A member of the SAGE emergency committee, Farrar was a key figure in both the UK and the World Health Organization at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic amid great uncertainty, fast-moving situations and missed opportunities. Spike is his widely acclaimed inside story. His account casts light on the UK government's claims to be 'following the science' and is informed not just by Farrar's views but by interviews with other top scientists and political figures.