2020/118: World of Trouble -- Ben Winters

2020/118: World of Trouble -- Ben Winters

... of course a pandemic would be an absolute calamity, some deadly virus stalking the land, and you would huddle up with your family and shut out the world until it ended, but then it would—it would have an ending. A pandemic runs its course and then the world recovers. [loc. 1687]

At the opening of World of Trouble, only fourteen days remain before the Maia asteroid is forecast to plummet into the Malaysian archipelago and destroy what's left of civilisation.( no spoilers for this book, plenty for previous books and situation )