Beth Derderian

During the current Covid-19 pandemic, much attention has focused on adult caregivers of young children. Flipping the focus, this episode focuses on children’s responses and experiences during infectious disease outbreaks. How do children communicate care to sick family members?

Dr. Jean Hunleth and Dr. Chelsie Yount-André discuss Hunleth’s research on children’s caregiving amid Zambia’s tuberculosis (TB) outbreak and trace parallels with today’s Covid-19 pandemic. They look at the role of proximity, recognizing the different ways children offer care, how to discuss disease with children and problematize the idea of disclosure, and the moral valences that become attached to disease and the people who suffer from them—particularly around privilege and vulnerability.

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