Absolutely love this piece so much. I'll be quoting from it when I complain to a non-arts org about their weak encouragement of masks.
Your use of the "social end of the pandemic" reminds me of a phrase one of the Death Panel podcast hosts coined. The phrase "the sociological end of the pandemic", if I remember correctly. This podcast is US-based and has been talking about COVID and manufacturing consent for repeat infections for years. They're strong supporters of abolition and disability justice.
To your first action point: I work in a clinical setting where it's just a healthcare provider and one support staff member. I wear a respirator at all times; the clinician wears a baggy blue imperfectly (unsure whether it's all days or just when I'm on). You would be surprised at the number of people who walk in, see us masked, and ask if they need to be wearing one too. Unfortunately the clinician doesn't press it, and so in the couple of years I've been there, only one single person has put one on anyway.
What I've learned from this:
1) Most people seem to need the reassurance of being told it's necessary - if it's left up to them, they'll default to whatever it is they consider "normal"; and
2) It doesn't need to be perfect! While we know that certain kinds of masks worn consistently are best, it's also much better than nothing for everyone present to be wearing what they have, when they can. Start small if it feels too overwhelming.
Excellent piece overall. And yes, huge YIKES at the research ethics involved!! (Kind of like the ethics of let-it-rip...)
An excellent piece! Thanks so much for putting it together and sharing. Thinking lots these days about histories of civil disobedience, especially queer history, and where governments have worked against public health because of the inconvenience of health measures. Really could use some big money behind public health campaigns for mask wearing and keeping safe from disease. But doing what we can now, and taking accountability for the power we have in our roles, professions, and spheres of influence, is incredibly important. Lots to think about, and to keep trying.
Absolutely love this piece so much. I'll be quoting from it when I complain to a non-arts org about their weak encouragement of masks.
Your use of the "social end of the pandemic" reminds me of a phrase one of the Death Panel podcast hosts coined. The phrase "the sociological end of the pandemic", if I remember correctly. This podcast is US-based and has been talking about COVID and manufacturing consent for repeat infections for years. They're strong supporters of abolition and disability justice.
To your first action point: I work in a clinical setting where it's just a healthcare provider and one support staff member. I wear a respirator at all times; the clinician wears a baggy blue imperfectly (unsure whether it's all days or just when I'm on). You would be surprised at the number of people who walk in, see us masked, and ask if they need to be wearing one too. Unfortunately the clinician doesn't press it, and so in the couple of years I've been there, only one single person has put one on anyway.
What I've learned from this:
1) Most people seem to need the reassurance of being told it's necessary - if it's left up to them, they'll default to whatever it is they consider "normal"; and
2) It doesn't need to be perfect! While we know that certain kinds of masks worn consistently are best, it's also much better than nothing for everyone present to be wearing what they have, when they can. Start small if it feels too overwhelming.
Excellent piece overall. And yes, huge YIKES at the research ethics involved!! (Kind of like the ethics of let-it-rip...)
An excellent piece! Thanks so much for putting it together and sharing. Thinking lots these days about histories of civil disobedience, especially queer history, and where governments have worked against public health because of the inconvenience of health measures. Really could use some big money behind public health campaigns for mask wearing and keeping safe from disease. But doing what we can now, and taking accountability for the power we have in our roles, professions, and spheres of influence, is incredibly important. Lots to think about, and to keep trying.
Love ya!