Social Distancing & the Welfare State

As I sit at our kitchen table at 9:30am I realize I have been watching our kids race around the table while screaming, laughing, hitting, whining for the past three and a half hours, and that social distancing is going to be a lot tougher than I thought.

We are still going outside and enjoying the great outdoors, but not having recreation centres, museums, and swimming pools open makes life with a two-year-old and five-year-old exhausting.

This being said, I think social distancing is necessary. It is our responsibility to think beyond ourselves and consider the cost of extending our networks.

I imagine a visual that maps my interactions (one similar to a social networking map) that might serve as an important visual to how my interactions can impact the spread of this virus, overextending our medical system and resulting in many deaths, like in Italy. I have no symptoms, but working at a school made up of 1200+ students and teachers makes me wonder about exposure. The Washington Post has published some pretty convincing simulations that demonstrate the danger of the exponential curve — how an individual’s movement can contribute to the doubling of the virus every two to three days — and result in an inability for the health care system to provide care for dying patients.

Flattening the curve is the responsibility of each of us. It is up to us to stop the spread of this pandemic.

But then I begin to wonder whether social distancing is realistic for everyone, and I begin to think about how it is more than a question of social responsibility. Social distancing (or the choice to engage in social distancing — and, it really shouldn’t be a choice) sheds light on some of the deepest, darkest systemic inequalities in society. The fact is that this virus (like all others) is going to impact those who are already disadvantaged: the vulnerable, the elderly, the minorit(ies), those who fall under the poverty line.

I think, for example, of all of the people who will be unable to pay rent if they are aren’t working, like some of my students. If low-income earners are forced from work, poverty and income-inequality will continue to grow. If low-income earners do work to pay rent (disregarding advisories or policies that might prohibit it), they will be exposed to the virus at a higher rate.

While the Trudeau government announced that there will be an economic aid package to support those who are struggling to pay their rent, I wonder when it will be available. The sooner you have the option of engaging in social distancing, the better your chances of not being exposed.

An even worse scenario would be to be a low-wage earner and live in the US where health care costs money. Many probably feel they don’t have the option of social distancing. Stories are circulating that people without healthcare are washing their hands as often as possible because they can’t afford to see a doctor. Hence, the exponential curve. Perhaps the Washington Post should create simulations that reflect accessibility to public health care and social safety nets, such as aid packages.

And it is here that I realize that the future of our economy is inextricably bound to our welfare state; that social safety nets are not only important for the poor, but for society as a whole. A strong public health care system and a government who prioritizes the health of every citizen over the bank accounts of a few is the only way to flatten the curve.

I also begin to think about how a welfare state needs to support and respect all individuals and businesses, and that any discrimination resulting from this chaos needs to be nipped in the bud, for the good of humanity and our future economy. Some of the worst social and cultural consequences of this virus will surely result from misinterpretations of social distancing and, again, mostly impact minorities. Social distancing, like any other concept, is subject to context and social and cultural interpretations. It is ripe for misinterpretation and I can easily see it misconstrued to reinforce “biased distancing.” Last week our mayor held a press conference in Chinatown encouraging citizens in Ottawa to continue supporting Chinese restaurants and shops. Enough said. When the virus subsides, each sector, business and individual who make up our current economy should have a chance to bounce back. And we need them to. The government needs to act preemptively with public awareness campaigns to mitigate the devolution of the term social distancing.

And then I begin to think about how current protocols around access to healthcare impact the most vulnerable, and, how we can’t change protocol but we can take it upon ourselves to stay home from work (if we are supported to do so), so that less people get sick and resources are used for those who really need them. “Battlefield triage” means that when hospitals run out of ventilators and beds, and these are part of the protocols to help health care workers to make decisions about who should access support based on the likelihood of survival. The elderly and vulnerable are often the ones left in the lurch. And so social distancing becomes, even more than before, a practice that is our responsibility. Not just for our parents and grandparents’ sake, but for our cousins’ parents and grandparents, our neighbours, our fellow Canadians, and all citizens of the world. Because our choice to stay home might not have an impact on our own health (those of us who are in our thirties or forties are, after all, invincible), but it will have an impact on the health of the elderly and vulnerable — and, for those readers who are concerned about money more than lives, it will tax our healthcare system and prevent our economy from bouncing back). Our networks extend further than we imagine. Just think about how many people you meet in the grocery store, and all of the families, neighbours, cousins, grandparents, children, of each individual you see there.

I believe social distancing is key to managing the spread of this pandemic, but both individuals and governments are responsible for making it happen. So stay home. Support the government to put together aid packages for the vulnerable. Remember the meaning of social distancing. Be aware that the current context could inform racist interpretations and practices and shut them down before they spread like a god-forsaken virus.