Rapid Response publishes essays that relate to rapidly evolving experiences.
Members of the MAQ community are invited to submit material for Rapid Responses–either contributions to an existing series or ideas for a new series–directly to the Online MAQ Editor for consideration. Submissions will be reviewed expediently and posted as quickly as possible.
Rapid Response publishes pieces from SMA’s “Takes A Stand”, an initiative which encourages medical anthropologists to collaborate on policy-related reviews and briefs.
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COVID-19: What can the United States learn from the Democratic Republic of the Congo?*
Discussions of COVID-19 often cast the Global South as the tragic victim of an imminent surge in cases there. Doctors and public health experts have lamented the weak health systems in the Global South––there are fewer than 130 ICU beds in Haiti and perhaps only 500 ventilators for 190…
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The Pain of Waiting During a Pandemic: Displacements of Disability in a Time of Crisis
I woke up one morning in early March with the worst sore throat I’d had in a decade. My entire body hurt five times more than usual, and I felt so cold I was shaking. When I took my temperature, though, it…
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Coronashock Capitalism: The Unintended Consequences of Radical Biopolitics
2020 is a significant year for the social sciences. Not only because COVID-19 changed how we think about global connectedness and local distancing. By some strange coincidence, 2020 also marks the 100th anniversary of Max Weber’s death. He was only 56 years…
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COVID-19 Responses
The following essays are written by members of the MAQ community as responses to the COVID-19 experience. Some of the essays are written as personal reflections and others as theoretical exegeses on the current situation. All of the posts offer insights that…
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Medical Protocols and Birth Practices: Breastfeeding in COVID-19 Cuba
The Cuban Ministry of Public Health highly prioritizes maternal-infant health; however, despite universal access to medical care and the support of generous state-mandated parental leave, the rates of early initiation of breastfeeding have fallen over the last decade (UNICEF). As active members…
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COVID-19 and SRH/MNH: A Curated Online Collection for Medical Anthropology Quarterly
The novel coronavirus is profoundly impacting population health and welfare across the globe, forcing patients, medical providers, and healthcare systems to find ways to rapidly adjust to COVID-19’s complex risks and constraints. The crisis has led to especially severe effects and outcomes…