COVID-19 Significantly Affects Maternal Health: A Rapid-Response Investigation from Pakistan

2021

Front. Sociol.

Self Cite

Death is far from being simply a physiologic event; it is a complex phenomenon with sociocultural and politicoeconomic aspects. During extraordinary times such as the 2020 coronavirus pandemic, death becomes a contested site. I argue that the Pakistani government's dealings with the bodies of people who die from COVID-19 have shifted the meaning of a normal dead body to a viral body that poses particular challenges to cultures and people, including the government. This article is both autoethnographic and ethnographic. It concurrently draws on my observations and participation in death rituals in a Pakistani village in Sindh province as a member of that society, and on a recent experience that I faced after the death of a gentle lady of my acquaintance due to COVID-19. I also build on my previous long-term ethnographic research in Pakistan and my ongoing research on COVID-19 in that country. I discuss the death rituals and ceremonies performed during “ordinary” situations as background information; and the changes in these rituals that have resulted from the coronavirus pandemic. My data demonstrate significant differences between usual and customary death rituals and those performed during Covidian times by government mandate, which have severely and negatively affected people's mental health. I show the government's “symbolic ownership” of the viral body, in that the government can control how people deal with their viral dead.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Death Rituals and Ceremonies During Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

From Normal to Viral Body: Death Rituals During Ordinary and Extraordinary Covidian Times in Pakistan

2021

Front. Sociol.

Self Cite

“…As in other countries, various local perspectives and narratives about COVID-19 have emerged in that country. 3,[5][6][7] For a non-COVID-related example of how rumors and conspiracy theories can spread in local areas, Inayat Ali reports that he repeatedly heard varying narratives in Sindh province concerning an unfamiliar, aggressive and dangerous small animal that appeared and attacked. This story held that: the animal was an Indian conspiracy to cause havoc in Pakistan-someone imported them from an Indian zoo to deliberately set them free in Pakistan.…”

Section: Covid-19 From a Local Perspective In Sindhmentioning

confidence: 99%

Local Perceptions of COVID-19 in Pakistan’s Sindh Province: “Political Game”, Supernatural Test, or Western Conspiracy?

Saddique²,

Disaster med. public health prep.

2021

Self Cite

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has received various distinct perspectives and responses at the local as well as global levels. The current study pays attention to local perspectives, which have appeared in the Sindh province of Pakistan. Focusing on a small town of the province, we have found that some people consider the disease is a “political” game or a “supernatural test.” The given perceptions then guide further actions: either ignore or adopt the preventive measures or take supernatural preventive measures. Considering it as a test of God, Muslims perform prayers, while Bāgrrī community who practice Hinduism are taking the cow urine to deal with the virus. This study brings these perspectives to the center stage, yet the results cannot be generalized across the country, including the province. Moreover, the study situates these perspectives within the global and socio-cultural, economic, and political contexts and invites more in-depth studies to inquire why such perspectives emerge. We maintain that documenting these various perspectives and analyzing their impacts at the preparedness programs is essential yet understanding the causes behind the stated standpoints—if not more—then is equally essential.

“…29 Given that, while considering it as the "pioneering" initiative, the country has changed lockdown into a "smart" lockdown. 34,35 By that, the government means to place virus hotspots under lockdown. 28 For instance, the "15-d smart lockdown" ended in 7 cities of Punjab province while this lockdown has been extended in many parts of Lahore city.…”

Section: Government Response To the Covid-19 Pandemicmentioning

confidence: 99%

Why May COVID-19 Overwhelm Low-Income Countries Like Pakistan?

Disaster med. public health prep.

2020

Self Cite

Since the coronavirus disease 2019, called COVID-19, has overwhelmed the high-income countries with ample resources and established healthcare system, we argue that there are plausible concerns why it may devastate the low-income countries like Pakistan. Focusing on Pakistan, we highlight the underlying reasons—e.g., demographic features, ineffective healthcare system, economic and social inequalities, corruption, and socio-cultural characteristics—that create fertile grounds for COVID-19 to overwhelm low-income countries. This paper presents Pakistan’s brief profile to demonstrate these underlying structures that may make the country more vulnerable in the face of an unceasing COVID-19 pandemic. The paper concludes that the country may make appropriate and possible effective short-term preparedness measures to halt or slow the transmission of the virus, and deal with its current implications as well as it may pay significant attention to long-term measures to deal effectively with COVID-19 longer-term effects. These measures may help Pakistan to deal appropriately with a similar future critical event.