Throughout this pandemic I have been acutely aware of epidemic trespassing: not wanting to weigh in on things beyond my own expertise 🧵(rant incoming)
For me this is questions of epidemiology and disease transmission which I am wholly unqualified to answer.
This has also been subject to considerable gatekeeping by some epi/clinical folks.
This has also been subject to considerable gatekeeping by some epi/clinical folks.
Yet there seems to be limited concern vice versa.
Everyone weighs in on the politics of pandemics (and more broadly the social science), as if this is a new area that no one has ever thought about before.
Tl:dr : it’s not. We’ve been working on it for years.
Everyone weighs in on the politics of pandemics (and more broadly the social science), as if this is a new area that no one has ever thought about before.
Tl:dr : it’s not. We’ve been working on it for years.
As someone who researches the politics of epidemics, it is disheartening when your own work becomes minimised or viewed as less important than the epi.
Despite the pertinent tools of disciplinary theory, methods and analysis which can support contemporary debates + policy
Despite the pertinent tools of disciplinary theory, methods and analysis which can support contemporary debates + policy
Particularly when we know diseases are spread by politics more so than the epidemiology:
that a disease is only allowed to spread as much as governments permit it to do so.
So let’s pre-empt what govs will do based on previous experience and then challenge gov accordingly
that a disease is only allowed to spread as much as governments permit it to do so.
So let’s pre-empt what govs will do based on previous experience and then challenge gov accordingly
Almost every step the UK gov has taken during covid has been seen before in some form during global health policy positions / epidemics elsewhere in the world.
Yet expertise in this gets sidelined, which I believe is shortsighted.
Yet expertise in this gets sidelined, which I believe is shortsighted.
International political analysis can reveal much about what’s happened before, current context and what likely considerations & trade-offs are being made.
Advocacy can then be pre-emptive.
Advocacy can then be pre-emptive.
Look at the headlines: it’s all politics - so why not allow space for those with expertise in this area to weigh in.
You never know, it might help!
You never know, it might help!
To be very clear; this is not me gatekeeping political insight - I think everyone should speak up.
More; let’s use all skills available and ask those who have training and expertise in this (in the same way we rely on “hard science” for relevant data and analysis too!)
More; let’s use all skills available and ask those who have training and expertise in this (in the same way we rely on “hard science” for relevant data and analysis too!)
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