Program (see abstracts below)

Steger Hall 118; Zoom: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/s/85494500632 

8:30: Welcome, Tom Ewing, Professor of History; Catherine Amelink, Office of the Provost, Virginia Tech 

8:40-9:30: Panel 1
Presentations:
Eireann Maybach: "Examining the 1889 Russian Influenza in New Orleans through Information Networks, Social Attitudes & Vital Statistics"
JD Hubbard: "Misconceptions of Stigmatized Disease"
Discussants: Kylene Kehn-Hall and Lisa Lee

Break

9:40-10:30: Panel 2
Taryn Huybrechts: "Human Relationships as Infrastructure in Epidemic Preparedness and Response"
Kiera Cleveland: "Re-imagining Time in NPR's Coverage of post-Pandemic Long COVID-19"
Carolina Lazzarotto da Silva: "The politics of data collection  during infectious disease outbreaks: The Navajo Nation and Covid-19"
Discussants: Yuba Gautam, Julie Gerdes, and Nick Ruktanonchai

Break

10:40-11:30: Panel 3
Hailey Richards: "Rhetorics of Patient Refusal: Vaccines, blood transfusion, and autonomy"
Katy Morejon: "Blood Transfusion Hesitancy"
Discussants: John Aggrey and Cora Olson

This symposium is sponsored by the 4VA Grant Program at George Mason University and Virginia Tech, the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, and the Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Arthropod-Borne Pathogens.

About the Participants

Kiera Cleveland, Virginia Tech
Major: Clinical Neuroscience; Minor: Medicine and Society

JD Hubbard, George Mason University
Major: Anthropology

Taryn Huybrechts, Virginia Tech
Major: Biochemistry; Minor: Medicine and Society

Carolina Lazzarotto da Silva, Virginia Tech
Major: Clinical Neuroscience

Eireann Maybach, Virginia Tech
Majors: Political Science & Communication. Minors: Politics, Philosophy & Economics; Business & Organizational Leadership; Public Health

Katy Morejon, George Mason University
Major: English

Hailey Richards, Virginia Tech
Majors: Political Science and English / Professional & Technical Writing 

Discussants

John Aggrey, PhD: Assistant Professor, Department of Science, Technology, and Society

Yuba Gautam, PhD, MS, MCHES®: Collegiate Associate Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences and Public Health Program, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

Julie Gerdes, PhD: Assistant Professor of Rhetoric and Writing, Department of English, Virginia Tech

Kylene Kehn-Hall, PhD: Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology; Director, Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Arthropod-borne Pathogens (CeZAP), Virginia Tech

Lisa M. Lee, PhD: Research Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences; Associate Vice President for Research and Innovation and Director, Scholarly Integrity and Research Compliance, Virginia Tech

Cora Olson, PhD: Collegiate Assistant Professor, Department of Science, Technology, and Society, Virginia Tech

Nick Ruktanonchai, Assistant Professor, Department of Population Health Sciences, Virginia Tech

Abstracts:

Eireann Maybach: This presentation highlights the 1889 Russian Flu, or “La Grippe” in New Orleans, Louisiana through Vital Statistics, Information Networks and Social Constructions of Data. The virus, which spread through the city from 1889 to 1893 caused an unprecedented number of deaths, most notably in the two “waves” in December 1889 and 1890.  Our research analyzes historical records, newspapers, medical reports, and census data, to reveal the impact of the Russian Flu on the individuals and communities in New Orleans, specifically regarding how ongoing racial tensions and the city’s reputation as a “Necropolis” influenced data, treatment, and public attitudes towards the Russian flu.

JD Hubbard: The initial outbreak of syphilis caused widespread panic as the symptoms of the disease caused detrimental effects to its victims. Pustules, unbearable pain, and flu-like symptoms appeared seemingly at random as surgeons and common folk alike attempted to find the causal agent of the disease. As the contagion spread it became clear that the means of transmission for the pox lay in sexual contact. Christians took advantage of people’s fear of contamination to inaugurate others into following their social values employing the stigma from the pox to establish anti-alehouse, anti-wet nurse, and anti-sex worker movements to uphold their religious beliefs and social values. Belief systems such as this also made for political fodder that began to sway the publics attention towards disdain for marginalized groups. This led to speculation that the disease may have been a punishment from God for the sinful actions of those who were not indoctrinated into the church. Similar discourse occurs in the modern era when new contagions are introduced to society, sparking conversations concerning scapegoats to blame for spreading disease and other means of social disorder. Taking advantage of historical text, the Bills of Mortality, and contemporary discussion on the spread of misinformation I will break down the original misconceptions of syphilis and how it relates to contemporary misinformation around stigmatized disease.

Taryn Huybrechts: The increasing threat of emerging infectious diseases like Ebola, Mpox, and COVID-19 has underscored the need for effective epidemic preparedness and response. While current approaches primarily focus on expert-led risk management and infrastructure investments, the role of human relationships as infrastructure, a fundamental yet under-recognized dimension, remains essential for effective preparedness. We conceptualize and explore human relationships as an infrastructure in epidemics to understand their utilization, role in community engagement, and influence on health behaviors. Drawing on qualitative interviews with participants in Martinsville, Virginia, we examined the use of networks and community ties during the COVID-19 pandemic. We argue that the exigencies of the pandemic enacted human relationships as an infrastructure that functioned as a channel for access to critical information and emotional support, significantly influencing adherence to preventive measures and facilitating community engagement and resource mobilization. These human relationship infrastructures complement existing systems and enhance community resilience. We suggest rethinking human relationships as an infrastructure and actively cultivating them as an essential component for epidemic preparedness and response and other health needs of communities.

Kiera Cleveland: In National Public Radio’s coverage of COVID-19 in the post-pandemic era, there is tension between the desire to carry on with “business as usual” and the duty to report the ongoing dangers COVID-19 poses to the public. Healthcare public communication has been mixed in the post-pandemic era. In this chapter, we chose NPR because it is usually regarded as a centrist media source with high veracity. It is also available without fees unlike many other mass media outlets. We reviewed many stories on COVID after the end of the public health emergency. The stories on Long COVID provided insights into thinking about health and well-being differently than coverage of vaccination updates, guidelines, emerging variants, and other COVID topics. We reviewed approximately 16 stories about Long COVID. We found that stories on Long COVID presented an opportunity to rethink time along crip lines. Scientific, biomedical, and accounts of Long COVID often stress the importance of the entanglement of viral persistence within competing time scales when looking for solutions. These competing timescales exist as models of scientific time, patient time, and disabled or crip time. Looking across these timescales provides space for re-imagining crip persistence and the proposed solutions shifts from biomedical cure to social support, desired biomedical intervention, and re-evaluations of life with Long COVID.

Hailey Richards: This study explores the emerging phenomenon of patients requesting unvaccinated blood for transfusions in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through qualitative analysis, we examine the rhetorical strategies employed by patients advocating for unvaccinated blood, uncovering underlying beliefs, values, and communication patterns. Our findings reveal three primary fear-based themes driving patient decision-making: loss of medical autonomy,invalidation of personal beliefs in clinical settings, and concerns about long-term health consequences. Patients emphasize the role of personal health philosophies –  often rooted in holistic practices and skepticism towards conventional medicine – in their decision making. The study highlights the complex interplay between patient autonomy, trust in medical systems, and broader health ideologies. By understanding these perspectives, healthcare providers can better respond to increasing patient concerns about COVID-19 vaccines, fostering trust and improving communication during critical moments of medical decision-making. 

Katy Morejon: The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted hesitancy toward both vaccinations and blood transfusions, driven by misinformation, mistrust, and cultural beliefs. This presentation explores the shared roots of these concerns, including fears of adverse effects, ethical dilemmas, and historical inequities in healthcare. By analyzing demographic patterns and media influence, it identifies barriers that perpetuate skepticism and hinder public health efforts. The presentation emphasizes the importance of culturally sensitive education and transparent communication to build trust and promote informed decision-making. By addressing these challenges, this discussion contributes to developing strategies that enhance public confidence in life-saving medical interventions.

Carolina Lazzarotto da Silva: Infectious disease research is essential to public health but raises ethical concerns that demand careful consideration. Building on decolonial scholarship, this study explores the ethical challenges of such research, particularly the harms inflicted on racialized communities, including the Navajo Nation, during health emergencies like the Covid-19 pandemic. Historical legacies of research on Indigenous populations—such as land usurpation, cultural suppression, and genocide—underscore the potential for data collection to exacerbate existing vulnerabilities rather than mitigate health inequities. This work cautions researchers against overlooking the social dimensions of infectious disease research in the urgency of pandemics. It emphasizes the importance of culturally sensitive, community-centered approaches that respect Indigenous sovereignty and well-being. By addressing both the human and methodological dimensions of health research, this study underscores the ethical imperative to avoid reproducing systemic injustices while working to advance equity in public health outcomes.

Illustration: Covid-19 Global Case Mapper, accessed February 2025