Thread by @culanth

Are you ready for the loop 2 showing of this panel?
Be sure to stick around in the zoom virtual hallway for questions and discussion afterwards.

#Distribute2020 @SocietyVisAnth

https://twitter.com/culanth/status/1258274110666227713

First up, Carlo Caduff of King’s College, who studied pandemic disease for 10 years, culminating in his book “The Pandemic Perhaps”! Today, everything has become a “perhaps” or “possible”—anything it possible...

Caduff will speak on how we as anthropologists might respond to this pandemic. In ways we can barely imagine rn, *this pandemic will hold us for decades*—unforeseeable consequences.

No models for this, the virus cannot be eradicated, it will not disappear. Lockdowns have saved lives and also prevented people form being exposed to the virus...—Carlo Caduff #Distribute2020

Disease modelling has been crucial for the public response, public health second—it needs to be first!

Carlo Caduff also notes at our late breaking panel, how the Chinese regional approach become national lockdown strategy in the global north, then translated to nations in global south...

Next up, Adia Benton—opens with a wild, funny, satirical musical edit on the US White House Press briefings?! Amazing!

Seems like daily press briefings by the President, "45," seed confusion, where 45 can step in. He's supposed to be the center of attention here, but it's not really the case...
@Ethnography911's keen observations of the WH Pandemic Press Briefings

"Whose expertise is foregrounded and parading during this crisis?"
This is not only optics, but shows us a bigger picture about institutions, experts, a "organizational displacement," etc...

Whoa! @Ethnography911 on Doctors like Dr. Anthony Fauci, etc. as "heroes," notes
"Americans' desire to fill in that empty space where expertise has been hollowed out."

Next up, Augustin Fuentes, @Anthrofuentes!

COVID-19 is NOT a biological event, it's a participant in a system.

Human bodies are never just "biological" or "social."

"We have to keep the social in social distancing"

— @Anthrofuentes

Recognizing the multi-speciesness of the COVID-19 mess, @Anthrofuentes speaks on the fact that infection from other species is not new, but the context, the "how" IS new here.
Made possible by extraction of wild animals into dense urban markets (SARS and COVID-19 both)

Our new normal must recognize our bio-social becoming (think Haraway), community, cooperation and mutual aid!
Fuentes (@Anthrofuentes) concludes.

This is so cool! @afleisch_anthro here in the Virtual Hallway after this panel, the questions are great, I'm seeing the faces of colleagues-friends in at least 3 countries! #Distribute2020

Both @ccaduff and @Anthrofuentes are here in the Pandemic panel Virtual Hallway discussion session and said they both feel the same about the situation a month after the video recording, but Fuentes is amazed at just how BAD the U.S. response has been!

Here in the discussion session, @anandspandian asks about borders, closing, opening and re-opening: those who are most interested in closing down borders are now so in favor of opening things back up.
What's with this paradox?! Can you help us think about this?

@Anthrofuentes: it was never about borders. That's the case here, too. It's about racism, xenophobia.
@ccaduff: Complex—in China there's never been a national lockdown (cities in one region). The key question here is "opening and closing borders for whom?"

Another question from @giovannacappon2: There's a mix of disenchantment and hope in your talks. How will these sentiments shape policy responses in future epidemic landscapes?

@ccaduff: Not a lot of hope here in India. Openings, opportunities, but for whom?
@Anthrofuentes: not exactly optimistic, but sees hope in action-reactions. Refuses only disenchantment

Some of the final thoughts from the still-ongoing discussion in the #Distribute2020 Virtual Hallway:
@ccaduff notes how much this disease is so politically visible. Masses of people die of e.g. HIV/AIDS all the time and no one cares much. This disease is so politically visible.