If a pandemic ripped across the world, how bad would it really get? You’ve heard the horror stories, but you’ve never heard one like this. Dr. Anthony Fauci, who advises the President on emerging infectious diseases, helps us out.

Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2M4Tlnt 

Selected references: 

• The CDC’s history of the 1918 Pandemic: http://bit.ly/2AXiGJP 
• Time-lapse tracking the transmission and evolution of H7N9: http://bit.ly/2B1nYnG 
• CDC’s Pandemic Influenza Plan: http://bit.ly/2pVroFZ 
• Institute for Disease Modeling’s flu pandemic death toll simulation: http://bit.ly/2M2ymSj 

Credits: This episode was produced by our senior producer Kaitlyn Sawrey, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Lexi Krupp, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Extra writing help from Kevin Christopher Snipes. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord and Marcus Thorne Bagala. Comments and thoughts from Dr. Eric Toner, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Beth Maldin Morgenthau, Dr. Melvin Sanicas, Professor Michael Osterholm, Dr. Patrick Saunders Hastings, Rosemary Gibson, Thomas Bollyky, Dr. Ashleigh Tuite, Professor Stephen Morse, Dr. Lalitha Sundaram, Professor David N. Fisman, Lynette Brammer, Dr. Mohamed Naguib, Dr. Yeulong Shu, Dr. Dan Jernigan, Dr Kirsty Short, and special thanks to Bess Davenport at CDC and Frank Lopez. Death toll modeling came from the Institute for Disease Modeling, with valuable guidance from Dr. Mandy Izzo and Dr. Kurt Frey. 

Thanks to all our actors:

Annabelle Fox as Mindy Tuckerman

Casey Wortmann as Dr Rosie Morales

William Dufris as Dr Uzdienski

Dani Cervone as Dr Emily Ragus 

Jordan Cobb as the Triage Nurse

Alice Kors as the distressed Mum

Robin Miles as the Nurse

Jonathan Woodward as Voiceover, 911 Operator, and Police Officer

Ian Lowe as Emergency Services Officer

Matt Lieber as the Politician

Newscasters include: Kaitlyn Sawrey, Renita Jablonski and Gabriel Lozada

Plane landing voice over: Peter Leonard

Directed by William Dufris with help from Wendy Zukerman, Kaitlyn Sawrey and Fred Grenhalgh. Recording by Fred Greenhalgh and Peter Leonard. Also thank you to all the Gimlet people who performed various drafts including Chad Chenail, Gabe Lozada, Jasmine Romero and MR Daniel. And a huge thank you to everyone who listened and gave comments - especially the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Finally, a huge thank you to Jorge Just, Stevie Lane, Phoebe Flanigan, Chris Giliberti, Justin McGolrick and Katie Pastore.