The Immunopolitics of Covid-19 Technologies

Btihaj Ajana publishes article on the intreplay between immunity and politics in the technologies of Covid-19 management.

Full article accessible on: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13534645.2023.2206243

Abstract:

Since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) a pandemic in early 2020, many countries around the world have rushed to find and develop solutions to manage and contain the spread of coronavirus. These include mobile tracking applications, AI-driven solutions and biometric mechanisms which have quickly been adopted by many countries around the world as a way of containing the spread of the virus and detecting cases before even individuals become symptomatic. Drawing on global examples of Covid-19 technologies, this paper examines some of the socio-political and ethical implications of such technologies, framing the discussion within the concept of “immunopolitics”. By examining Covid-19 technologies as a modality of ‘governing through immunity’, the paper brings into sharper focus the intertwinement of biology, technology and politics, offering a way of articulating what is at stake in living an ‘immunitary life’ during the current pandemic.