It has already been six years since Covid-19 appeared and marked our
lives. While liberal policies have forced us to "live with the virus,"
where does the pandemic stand, and what can we put in place to fight for
our health self-defense? ---- Despite the government's proclamation of
the end of the health emergency in August 2023, the Covid pandemic
continues. As we demonstrated in December 2023[1], our social class
still fails to integrate health as a collective objective into its
thinking. Yet, the pandemic has exposed the fundamental contradictions
of capitalism. On the one hand, this system claimed to protect human
life through the prowess of science and technology; on the other, it has
subordinated these advances to the pursuit of profit.
Blood on Our Hands
Vaccines, the fruit of a collective effort, have proven effective
against severe forms of Covid, but their use has been undermined by a
lack of transparency, excessive promises, and the absence of a coherent
collective strategy. By failing to implement social and technical
measures to reduce transmission-through ventilation of enclosed spaces,
free protective equipment, reorganization of work, and the sharing of
knowledge-the virus continued to circulate, fostering the emergence of
new variants, weakening the very effectiveness of vaccines, and eroding
public trust. Each individual was left to their own devices, as if it
were a personal choice rather than a social issue. It is in this arena
that charlatans, conspiracy theorists, and reactionary politicians have
also flourished, exploiting popular anger instead of directing it
against its true cause: Capital, which commodifies life.
Emmanuel Macron and his "living with" strategy have blood on their
hands[2]. The ruling classes have deliberately orchestrated a social
management of death: those deemed "unproductive"-the elderly, the
disabled, and those in precarious situations-have been sacrificed in the
name of maintaining the economy. COVID-19 vaccination campaigns are
receiving less and less media attention and are presented as being
useful only for "at-risk individuals." This targeting demonstrates
ableism and a certain contempt for these people: they alone should be
concerned about their health, and others who get vaccinated to protect
them are supposedly doing so out of kindness. Quebec, by making
vaccination a paid service (at a cost of 150 to 180 Canadian dollars)
for "non-at-risk" individuals[3], is going even further in endangering them.
According to a recent study[4], more than one in three people infected
with SARS-CoV-2 develop long-term effects, and about one in ten suffers
from long COVID. This new chronic illness can affect all organs and
cause a wide variety of symptoms, including memory loss, sometimes
invisible or delayed for several weeks or months after infection.
Furthermore, the initial infection can be asymptomatic, making it
difficult to establish a link with long COVID, especially in a medical
context where denial of the illness persists.
Since the belated recognition of the phenomenon, it is the mobilization
of patients themselves that has helped to shed light on this chronic and
insidious illness. Groups of people affected by this disease are
emerging, such as Winslow[5].
Since 2023, France has stopped counting COVID cases. The only available
data are from 2020 and 2022 and the analysis of wastewater from the
national monitoring system Sum'eau. To compensate for this lack of
information, the ARRA association is conducting regional monitoring of
this data, and the Winslow public health collective provides a wealth of
articles and materials on COVID.
WINSLOW PUBLIC HEALTH
The state has abandoned thousands of people unable to return to work,
neither recognized nor compensated. Faced with this ongoing pandemic, we
cannot trust the political class and the capitalists. These are the same
people who orchestrate drug shortages for profit. The virus management
policy is now individualistic and ableist: it is up to "vulnerable"
people to wear a mask, get vaccinated, avoid crowds... As
revolutionaries, we must apply a certain discipline to our practices,
and it is up to us to collectively build genuine health self-defense.
What to do?
When we organize collective events such as general assemblies or public
meetings, mandatory mask-wearing (FFP2 and properly fitted) is effective
in protecting ourselves collectively from COVID-19[6]. Ventilating the
room is also essential to improve the quality of the air we breathe, and
when possible, air purifiers can be installed, which prove effective at
filtering the air[7]. It is also important to offer video conferencing
for people who cannot travel. These measures, which may seem
individualistic, are only effective when considered collectively.
Wearing a mask also protects people who cannot wear one (for example,
people who use respiratory assistance or have a motorized wheelchair
controlled by mouth).
To implement this self-defense in public health, we can never rely on
the State. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen the
emergence of Mask Blocs in many cities in France. These groups advocate
for daily self-defense in public health and promote the return of
mask-wearing in public spaces (public transport, supermarkets, etc.). It
is possible to contact them to obtain free FFP2 masks or air purifiers
to ensure the safety of our public events. Finally, vaccination is still
available, and still free! The 2025 winter campaign is underway and will
run until January 31, 2026. Generally, you just need to ask for the
vaccine at a pharmacy, most often without even needing an appointment.
These short-term efforts are a direct expression of class solidarity in
risk reduction, but they are not real solutions. The problem is more
structural, and this health crisis was unavoidable in our capitalist
society. We see it in our workplaces and schools: nothing is being done
to improve air quality and limit the spread of the virus. The
government's attack on sick leave-claiming abuse-is a glaring example:
workers now have the choice between losing wages or going to work sick
and infecting their colleagues. The same applies to our schools:
renovating ventilation systems would limit infections and, at the same
time, reduce absenteeism[8]. It is up to us to incorporate these demands
into all our struggles, in order to make health self-defense a truly
political and collective issue.
Antoine (UCL Alsace)
Submit
[1]"Covid-19 Pandemic: Where Do We Stand on Health Self-Defense?"
"Alternative libertaire," December 2023.
[2]Phoenix Ketchum, "What COVID Has to Do with Eugenics," Medium.com,
September 16, 2025.
[3]Florence Morin-Martel, "The COVID-19 Vaccine Will No Longer Be Free
for Everyone This Fall," Le Devoir, September 17, 2025.
[4]"Global Prevalence of Long COVID, Its Subtypes, and Risk Factors: An
Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis," OFID, Volume 12, Issue 9,
September 2025.
[5]For more information, see the collective's website, Winslow.fr.
[6]B. Murdoch, "How the Denial of Airborne Transmission of COVID Broke
the World," translation available on Winslow.fr.
[7]For more information, see the "Air Purifiers" page on the ARRA website.
[8]"Poor air quality in classrooms," The Irish Times, September 4, 2025.
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Covid-19-Six-ans-de-pandemie-et-maintenant
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
lives. While liberal policies have forced us to "live with the virus,"
where does the pandemic stand, and what can we put in place to fight for
our health self-defense? ---- Despite the government's proclamation of
the end of the health emergency in August 2023, the Covid pandemic
continues. As we demonstrated in December 2023[1], our social class
still fails to integrate health as a collective objective into its
thinking. Yet, the pandemic has exposed the fundamental contradictions
of capitalism. On the one hand, this system claimed to protect human
life through the prowess of science and technology; on the other, it has
subordinated these advances to the pursuit of profit.
Blood on Our Hands
Vaccines, the fruit of a collective effort, have proven effective
against severe forms of Covid, but their use has been undermined by a
lack of transparency, excessive promises, and the absence of a coherent
collective strategy. By failing to implement social and technical
measures to reduce transmission-through ventilation of enclosed spaces,
free protective equipment, reorganization of work, and the sharing of
knowledge-the virus continued to circulate, fostering the emergence of
new variants, weakening the very effectiveness of vaccines, and eroding
public trust. Each individual was left to their own devices, as if it
were a personal choice rather than a social issue. It is in this arena
that charlatans, conspiracy theorists, and reactionary politicians have
also flourished, exploiting popular anger instead of directing it
against its true cause: Capital, which commodifies life.
Emmanuel Macron and his "living with" strategy have blood on their
hands[2]. The ruling classes have deliberately orchestrated a social
management of death: those deemed "unproductive"-the elderly, the
disabled, and those in precarious situations-have been sacrificed in the
name of maintaining the economy. COVID-19 vaccination campaigns are
receiving less and less media attention and are presented as being
useful only for "at-risk individuals." This targeting demonstrates
ableism and a certain contempt for these people: they alone should be
concerned about their health, and others who get vaccinated to protect
them are supposedly doing so out of kindness. Quebec, by making
vaccination a paid service (at a cost of 150 to 180 Canadian dollars)
for "non-at-risk" individuals[3], is going even further in endangering them.
According to a recent study[4], more than one in three people infected
with SARS-CoV-2 develop long-term effects, and about one in ten suffers
from long COVID. This new chronic illness can affect all organs and
cause a wide variety of symptoms, including memory loss, sometimes
invisible or delayed for several weeks or months after infection.
Furthermore, the initial infection can be asymptomatic, making it
difficult to establish a link with long COVID, especially in a medical
context where denial of the illness persists.
Since the belated recognition of the phenomenon, it is the mobilization
of patients themselves that has helped to shed light on this chronic and
insidious illness. Groups of people affected by this disease are
emerging, such as Winslow[5].
Since 2023, France has stopped counting COVID cases. The only available
data are from 2020 and 2022 and the analysis of wastewater from the
national monitoring system Sum'eau. To compensate for this lack of
information, the ARRA association is conducting regional monitoring of
this data, and the Winslow public health collective provides a wealth of
articles and materials on COVID.
WINSLOW PUBLIC HEALTH
The state has abandoned thousands of people unable to return to work,
neither recognized nor compensated. Faced with this ongoing pandemic, we
cannot trust the political class and the capitalists. These are the same
people who orchestrate drug shortages for profit. The virus management
policy is now individualistic and ableist: it is up to "vulnerable"
people to wear a mask, get vaccinated, avoid crowds... As
revolutionaries, we must apply a certain discipline to our practices,
and it is up to us to collectively build genuine health self-defense.
What to do?
When we organize collective events such as general assemblies or public
meetings, mandatory mask-wearing (FFP2 and properly fitted) is effective
in protecting ourselves collectively from COVID-19[6]. Ventilating the
room is also essential to improve the quality of the air we breathe, and
when possible, air purifiers can be installed, which prove effective at
filtering the air[7]. It is also important to offer video conferencing
for people who cannot travel. These measures, which may seem
individualistic, are only effective when considered collectively.
Wearing a mask also protects people who cannot wear one (for example,
people who use respiratory assistance or have a motorized wheelchair
controlled by mouth).
To implement this self-defense in public health, we can never rely on
the State. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen the
emergence of Mask Blocs in many cities in France. These groups advocate
for daily self-defense in public health and promote the return of
mask-wearing in public spaces (public transport, supermarkets, etc.). It
is possible to contact them to obtain free FFP2 masks or air purifiers
to ensure the safety of our public events. Finally, vaccination is still
available, and still free! The 2025 winter campaign is underway and will
run until January 31, 2026. Generally, you just need to ask for the
vaccine at a pharmacy, most often without even needing an appointment.
These short-term efforts are a direct expression of class solidarity in
risk reduction, but they are not real solutions. The problem is more
structural, and this health crisis was unavoidable in our capitalist
society. We see it in our workplaces and schools: nothing is being done
to improve air quality and limit the spread of the virus. The
government's attack on sick leave-claiming abuse-is a glaring example:
workers now have the choice between losing wages or going to work sick
and infecting their colleagues. The same applies to our schools:
renovating ventilation systems would limit infections and, at the same
time, reduce absenteeism[8]. It is up to us to incorporate these demands
into all our struggles, in order to make health self-defense a truly
political and collective issue.
Antoine (UCL Alsace)
Submit
[1]"Covid-19 Pandemic: Where Do We Stand on Health Self-Defense?"
"Alternative libertaire," December 2023.
[2]Phoenix Ketchum, "What COVID Has to Do with Eugenics," Medium.com,
September 16, 2025.
[3]Florence Morin-Martel, "The COVID-19 Vaccine Will No Longer Be Free
for Everyone This Fall," Le Devoir, September 17, 2025.
[4]"Global Prevalence of Long COVID, Its Subtypes, and Risk Factors: An
Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis," OFID, Volume 12, Issue 9,
September 2025.
[5]For more information, see the collective's website, Winslow.fr.
[6]B. Murdoch, "How the Denial of Airborne Transmission of COVID Broke
the World," translation available on Winslow.fr.
[7]For more information, see the "Air Purifiers" page on the ARRA website.
[8]"Poor air quality in classrooms," The Irish Times, September 4, 2025.
https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Covid-19-Six-ans-de-pandemie-et-maintenant
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S N E W S S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
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