Normal Island: COVID-19, Border Control, and Viral Nationalism in UK Public Health Discourse

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Political Science
• Sociology

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic prompted diverse public health responses.
• Non-governmental actors significantly influenced public discourse on pandemic management.
• Border control emerged as a prominent, yet debated, public health strategy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the preoccupation with border control in COVID-19 management among non-governmental public health actors.
• To theorize the concept of "viral nationalism" as a framework for understanding pandemic responses.
• To examine the relationship between public health, national immunity, and national feeling in the UK.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of statements, tweets, and interviews from the "Independent Sage" group.
• Comparative analysis drawing parallels with "green nationalism."
• Theoretical development of "viral nationalism."

Main Results:

• The "Independent Sage" group frequently employed border control rhetoric for managing COVID-19 within the UK.
• Border control was framed as essential for maintaining national immunity.
• A conceptual framework of "viral nationalism" was developed to explain this phenomenon.

Conclusions:

• The discourse surrounding COVID-19 management reveals a tendency towards nationalistic approaches, termed "viral nationalism."
• Pandemic management was conceptualized through the lens of national borders and securitization.
• Public health strategies can become intertwined with national identity and sentiment.