Record of a Pandemic
COVID-19 has transformed our world. The Walrus explores these changes and asks what comes next
With the global spread of the new coronavirus, we are facing challenges on a scale unprecedented in most of our lifetimes. In addition to the losses of life, health care shortages, and economic disaster, the pandemic has also had dramatic repercussions for the structure of our daily lives.
In our ongoing coverage of the outbreak, The Walrus examines what it means to live at a time when we’ve suddenly had to change many of our everyday behaviours. From the challenges of co-parenting and home-schooling to the power of community aid and digital collectives, we will continue to track these rapid transformations and unpack what they mean for Canadians. We’ll also turn an eye to the future, toward disruptions we may continue to experience in our finances, governance, technologies, food systems, and relationships.
Health Care Workers Still Fear Bringing the Pandemic Home
We may have flattened the curve, but nurses, doctors, and staff can’t relax—the worst may be yet to come
Is Dining Out Dead?
Some experts predict that 60 percent of restaurants won’t survive the lockdown. Here’s what chefs, owners, and their employees are doing to stay alive
The Spanish Flu Rewrote History. Will This Pandemic Do the Same?
Disease magnifies inequality, brings social turmoil, and offers a shot at meaningful change
How COVID-19 Infected the Publishing Industry
The pandemic has pushed booksellers and publishers to the brink
My Son Peed Onscreen in a Zoom Call, and Other Tales of a Working Parent
In a pandemic, our economy is sending a clear message: you can either work or parent
A Warning from the Chickens of the World
How our reliance on mass-produced food increases the risk of pandemics
The North Knows What It’s Like to Fight a Pandemic
The region isn’t equipped to fight infectious diseases. That doesn’t mean it’s not prepared
Locked Out of Your Place of Worship
Some members of spiritual communities felt isolated from their faiths long before quarantine
How to Lift a Lockdown
From immunity passports to mass testing: the science, logistics, and ethics of recovering from COVID-19
If a Book Is Published in a Pandemic, Will Anyone Read It?
We already undervalue our artists. COVID-19 has only made it worse
How Universal Basic Income Will Save the Economy
Until recently, the idea lived on the political margins. Then the pandemic changed everything
Your Brain on COVID-19
Fear, denial, panic buying: why our minds are not designed to process threats like the coronavirus pandemic
Don’t Drink The Bleach
Medical scams are bad enough in ordinary situations. During a pandemic, they can be deadly
This Is the Internet We Were Promised
The World Wide Web hasn’t felt this supportive since it was invented. Why did it take a pandemic?
Do Good Landlords Even Exist?
In the current rental crisis, landlords have a chance to step up. But too many of them are failing their tenants
Social Distancing Is Impossible in Prisons. Why Are They Still Full?
Bail courts have gone virtual and trials are suspended. But prisons, which pose a severe public health risk, are still open
Divorce Can Make Flattening the Curve Even Harder
The challenge of social distancing when staying home involves two different places
The Plague Story We’re Living Through
Romeo and Juliet reminds us that all the best human things are unhygienic—sex, kissing, a touch from the person you love
Family on the Front Lines of a Pandemic
Until my uncle was sent to care for patients in Wuhan, the outbreak didn’t feel real to me. If only we had all paid attention sooner
Anatomy of a Pandemic
Like major contagions throughout history, the new coronavirus causes fear as well as illness. The remedy for both, it turns out, is the same
Q&A with Kevin Patterson
Answers to your questions for ICU doctor Kevin Patterson, posed by our own senior editor Hamutal Dotan
