On Sept. 22, Taylor Swift made an unexpected announcement that she was releasing a new single called "Patient Zero." The news sent Swifties and music sleuths on a wild goose chase for online clues to the meaning of the song title. Meanwhile, those working in public health felt their hearts sink—they worried that Swift was breathing new life into the toxic term "patient zero," used since the 1980s to blame and scapegoat patients during infectious disease outbreaks.