Q&A: NIAID’s Jeanne Marrazzo speaks on bird flu, mpox, and succeeding Anthony Fauci
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An interview with the director of the NIAID, Jeanne Marrazzo, on bird flu, mpox, the post-Fauci era and more.

Jeanne Marrazzo, new leader of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, everyone:

Can I make a quick digression? We recently had a long Covid [research] meeting where we had about 200 people, in person. And we can’t mandate mask-wearing, because it’s federal property. But there was a fair amount of disturbance that we couldn’t, and people weren’t wearing masks, and one person accused us of committing a microaggression by not wearing masks.

And I take that very seriously. But I thought to myself, it’s more that people just want to live a normal life. We really don’t want to go back. It was so painful. We’re still all traumatized. Let’s be honest about that. None of us are over it.

So there’s not a lot of appetite for raising an alarm, especially if it could be perceived subsequently as a false alarm.

Edit - thanks for the help in bypassing the paywall.

  • Wertheimer [any]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    Your second paragraph reminds me. I just read Devon Price’s Unlearning Shame, and was somewhat shocked by his read on Covid, where he talks about how we shouldn’t shame people who don’t follow health guidelines. The point of “Don’t blame individuals for a systemic problem” is fine, but when it comes to actively and repeatedly endangering people’s health, there’s plenty of room for individual shaming. Like - don’t shame someone for having a DUI on their record, fine. But if they still drive drunk every day, that person is dangerous, no matter how acceptable drunk driving might be in their culture.

    • ihaveibs [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      Shame is an essential tool that prevents the proliferation of bullies in human society. Ruling classes have obviously historically weaponized shame in horrific ways (ahem Christianity), but let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.

          • iridaniotter [she/her]@hexbear.netEnglish
            1·
            2 months ago

            No, shame is reactionary. As a social force it is used as a tool of aversion, and cognitively it has wide-ranging negative effects. A culture that employs shame to discipline its people will inevitably create a culture where people cannot be themselves. You state:

            Ruling classes have obviously historically weaponized shame in horrific ways (ahem Christianity)

            But you cannot just cross off all the ways class society uses shame as weaponization.

            Most instances where you think shame could be helpful (presumably in some sort of harmonious socialist society?) is better suited to the revolutionary social force & emotion of solidarity & empathy. Whereas repeated shame crushes one’s spirit, instilling a sense of solidarity will only create more positive outcomes both socially and psychologically.