Mariacarla Gadebusch Bondio and Ylva Söderfeldt: "Coronavirus, medical power and powerlessness"

Mariacarla Gadebusch Bondio, Universität Bonn and Ylva Söderfeldt, Uppsala University: "Coronavirus, medical power and powerlessness"

Presentation and discussion in English. The seminar is held through Zoom, access the seminar through this link.

Abstract
As we are facing a new global threat in the shape of a virus, the power of medicine becomes both more visible and more ambiguous than ever. Medical concerns are at the center of government politics and justify radical infringements to freedom, and guide the private lives of citizens who comply with intense regimens of hygiene and social distancing. At the same time, past promises of an all-powerful medicine, equipped to overcome any ailment and to reshape human life, clash with a reality where medicine has little to offer to stop the crisis. To begin making sense of what we are experiencing right now, we invite you to join us in a discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic from a medical humanities perspective.