Seized by Uncertainty : The Markets, Media, and Special Interests That Shaped Canada's Response to COVID-19 / Kevin Quigley.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Quigley, Kevin, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

COVID-19 (Disease)--Government policy.

COVID-19 (Disease).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xviii, 501 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

Montreal : McGill-Queen's University Press, [2024]

Summary:

Seized by Uncertainty explores Canada's response to the COVID-19 pandemic through the various contexts - psychological, social, legal, administrative, and economic - in which it emerged, exposing how it revealed uncomfortable truths about a fragmented society and governance problems that long predated the threat.

"The COVID-19 virus was responsible for the deaths of over thirty-five thousand Canadians in its first two years alone. Described as the biggest public health crisis of the century, it was an uncertain threat, which emerged within complex psychological, social legal, administrative, and economic contexts. Seized by Uncertainty explains how Canadian governments responded to that threat. Despite early warning signs, the governments failed to appreciate the trade-offs required to respond to the pandemic. Their approach, at times intolerant of debate and blind to diversity, served the interests of some over others. Their response prioritized stability and containment, enabling four in ten people to work from home, disproportionately benefiting an educated middle-class, who benefited further with soaring stock markets and housing prices. Mental health issues spiked, racialized people were much more likely to test positive for the virus, those in low-income sectors experienced unstable employment and lacked workplace safety protection, the lives of low-risk youth were in constant suspension, and residents of some care homes were virtually abandoned. Seized by Uncertainty studies the pandemic response through the contexts in which it emerged, exposing how it revealed uncomfortable truths about a fragmented society and governance problems that predated the threat."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Dedication

Contents

Tables and Figures

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

Introduction

Part one: Overview of COVID-19 and Situating It in the Risk Literature

1. How It Started and Key covid-19–Related Health Outcomes

2. Situating COVID-19 in the Risk Literature: Four Rationales for Risk

Part Two: Regime Content: The Government’s Control Mechanisms

3. Information Gathering: Testing, Contact Tracing, and Modelling

4. Standard Setting: Health and Emergency Response, Economic Support, and Governance

5. Behaviour Modification 1: The Public’s Choices and the Cascading Impacts of Government Directives

6. Behaviour Modification 2: The COVID-19 Vaccine

Part Three: Case Studies: Long-Term Care and Tourism

7. Caring for the Vulnerable: Long-Term Care, Short-Term Thinking

8. Tourism: The Higher It Rises, the Harder It Falls

Part Four: Regime Context: Pressures and Explanations

9. Market Failure Hypothesis: Market Performance, Information Costs, and Opt-Out Costs

10. Opinion-Responsive Hypothesis: Media and Public Opinion Polls

11. Interest Group Hypothesis: Bureau-Shapers and Organized Interests

Part Five: Living with It

Conclusion

Appendix

1. Methods

2. Years of Life Lost to COVID-19 Compared to World Wars

3. Years of Life Lost to COVID-19 Compared to Road Fatalities

4. Consumer Purchases at Retail (× 1,000) by Category (2019–21)

Notes

References

Index

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-2280-2333-5

0-2280-2332-7

OCLC:

1442066410