‘A virus is a piece of bad news wrapped up in a protein.’—Sir Peter Medawar, 2011
My first encounter with the power of a virus took place when I was 11 years old. I contracted a relatively mild case of polio with leg paralysis. After several weeks of vigorous walking, I was able to fully recover. At age 14, I spent the afternoon playing ball and the evening at the home of a close friend, who said he was feeling very tired. When I called the next