Australian Podcast 'Patient Zero' Explores Disease Outbreak Narratives

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation podcast 'Patient Zero,' hosted by Olivia Willis and executive produced by Joel Werner, examines the origins and impacts of disease outbreaks through an eight-part series. Created in early 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the program combines science journalism with true crime storytelling techniques to provide perspective on epidemics. The production team, which includes specialist journalists and audio producers, worked remotely to research and develop episodes focusing on various outbreaks. The series won the 2021 Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Science Journalism. The podcast highlights personal narratives to humanize public health emergencies.