“Only the Immunocompromised and Elderly Will Die”: Precarity and Care in the United States

During the first days of COVID-19, stories about health and life circulated quickly and with resolve. The phrase “only the immunocompromised and elderly will die” became a touchpoint of disagreement, meaning fascist sacrifice to some and comfort to others. Examples provide insights into how, in times of disruption, meanings embedded in diffusive phrases expose and reinforce existing systems of power. We use the concept of shoring, borrowed from engineering, to discuss how health narratives reinforce and challenge existing structures of power and injustice in moments of social and political strife.