What Does ‘Patient Zero’ Mean? Unpacking Taylor Swift’s New Song

THE RUNDOWN

• Taylor Swift has announced a new single, Patient Zero, arriving September 25. Its moody cover marks a shift from the glittering visuals of The Life Of A Showgirl.
• The expression “Patient Zero” refers to the first known person to catch an emerging disease.
• Fans believe Swift has been hinting at the release for weeks, pointing to a coded “ENCORE” message in her Emmys sketch, a “Patient For The Encore” sign in the Opalite music video…