Where infectious diseases occur: restrictive measures and the concept of place.

Abstract

Greater attention should be given to place when considering whether to, and how to, implement restrictive measures in response to infectious disease outbreaks and pandemics. Human beings cannot experience the world except in place, while place allows us to act ethically and in relation to other persons. Some have described place as a location with meaning to humans. Our individual and collective sense of meaning and identities are partly created in and by the places we live, while our sense of agency and security are shaped by them. Although taking the concept of place seriously is central to other disciplines and cultures, it is- with some notable exceptions- absent in the bioethics literature, including that of public health ethics. This paper attempts to outline how attending to the normative aspects of place can help explain some of our lingering COVID19-related trauma, as well as be used constructively in responding to future outbreaks when we cannot avoid the use of restrictive measures.