Because of the recent events that have happened in the previous months, we have learned to become extra careful with our hygiene. We now wash our hands more, and disinfect everything that we touch. It is good that we are now fixated on cleanliness...
But what if this anxiety crystallizes into a long-term, habitual fear of germs? I believe that such a cultural shift wouldn’t just be unhelpful, it would potentially be a danger to public health — and to the broader social sphere.
Sophie Strosberg lays down the many risks that could happen in a germaphobe society, where individual health care is emphasized more than broader public health goals.
See her article over at Undark.
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