pandemic

The century of pande­mics. A conver­sa­tion with Mark Honigsbaum

Medical historian Mark Honigsbaum speaks of a "century of pandemics" that stretches from the Spanish flu of 1918 to our Corona-related present. In an interview with Philipp Sarasin, he explains why we only ever prepare for the pandemic that has just passed.

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Unmasked: Covid-19 and the Cultural Dimen­sions of the Debate on Manda­tory Face Masks

In the context of the covid-19 pandemic, Germany witnesses debates on whether masks could help contain the spread of the virus. This article argues the controversy may be rooted in the deep-seated suspicion of facial covering in Europe since the nineteenth century.