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Contributor is exactly
Leslie Reagan
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2020-04-22
Clorox as medicine meme
Many shocked jokes, late night comedy skits, and more about Trumps remarks. Traditional role of the nations leader is to give advice about how to protect the entire country and to show that he cares about Americans. Instead, Trump suggested something deadly and showed he doesn’t care at all. This meme is particularly good because Clorox bleach is upside down as if attached to an iv and turned into an inhaler and pills. In the current pandemic, disinfectant products like Clorox or 409 can be hard to find. Public health agencies are scrambling to teach people not to use bleach or Lysol internally because some might try the President’s ideas. It’s dangerous and it never was a joke as we all know. The memes help us cope by laughing at the utter horror of covid19 deaths and the terrible federal response led by the president. -
2020-04-09
Who works in the hospital? Popular Facebook statement about conventional thinking about who’s important in health care
This is a vivid graphic in bright greens. Similar to public health educational posters: easy to read, point contradicts common thinking. In this case it’s taking doctors and nurses down a peg—the ones getting public applause and thank yous right now in the pandemic—and lists all of the other people who care for the sick, injured, dying, and those getting well. They should be seen as heroes too.. Top of the list: respiratory therapists. A group of workers whose expertise is extremely important in covid19 and that many had never heard of or thought about. A long list of people keep a hospital going. At the bottom are the CEOs, nurses, and doctors—the ones we traditionally think of as important and running the show. As a historian of medicine, I admit that I fall into it too. This is an excellent message. I’d put the cleaners and janitorial staff much higher on the list. They are crucial in keeping infectious diseases from spreading. And they are surely the most poorly paid. -
2020-04-08
Public Street art, New Jersey, USA
A great piece of modern art shared by the painter with the public and for the neighborhood in the midst of the pandemic. It’s a self-portrait, presumably, of the painter, showing him/her/they at work with with paint and brushes. It gives two messages: one, in the portrait, copy me and wear a mask to protect yourself and us and 2) the text, hang in there, meaning keep going, have faith in yourself, be strong, or similar friendly and uplifting sentiments. It’s a very common phrase in US late 20thc-2020 and we use it with friends. So it too, is advice, to try to stay emotionally well, and almost a hug. This is from NJ at the moment that it it is clear that New York City is the epicenter of suffering and death due to covid19 in the US and that means NJ because so many work in NYC. My friend saw it as she took a walk outside alone while “social distancing” and probably wearing a scarf over her face or a homemade mask. It’s great because the artist shared his/her/their work and feelings and it does make my friend in NJ and her friends all over and mine, happier. I am grateful for it. -
2020-03-23
Letter from neighbors asking for donations of masks and gloves to local hospitals
Everyone on our block received this note asking us to donate any PPE (personal protective equipment, an abbreviation I did not know before the epidemic) to local hospitals. The note exemplifies the shocking failure of national preparation in the US and the way that medical professionals are looking anywhere and everywhere for standard equipment. They are doing this in advance of the horrible days that we know are coming. Our community has had only a few cases, but that won’t last. That the richest nation in the world has no masks, is scrambling for hospital beds, and will soon see deaths of not only older and medically vulnerable but also masses of poor people because of our refusal to provide health care, housing and living wages to all is just horrific, embarrassing, and sickening. My husband makes beautiful hand made tables and chairs. He found a box of gloves and 4 masks. We’ll ask friends to hunt too. This is not how we prepare for a pandemic. -
2020-03-22
First voice-over power point for first day of now online US history of medicine class.
First PowerPoint of 55 min recorded lecture. First time I’ve ever added voice over to PowerPoint images I usually show in class. Usually I see my students, I ask them questions and interact with them. I use the blackboard to underline points as well. They break into groups to discuss primary sources. It took 10 hours today, Sunday, to learn this new skill and translate my lecture into a new format: new images, voice recorded for each one. Most poignant is the first one in which I am saying hello, talking about the weird situation we are all in, telling them that i miss them, and that they should not worry. The goal is for them to learn as best they can under weird conditions but this class should not add to their stress. They need to take care of their own health and their families. The image represents what every professor in the country was asked to do over spring break—in the flurry of stress, shopping for possible 2-week quarantine, thinking about Home-schooling and absorbing conflicting information. And an election in Illinois and other states. We do as best we can because we care about our students. But the dozens of messages from the administration are unhelpful. This icommand from above for instantaneous online education represents hard work. We will all do the best we can.