The End of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Which Status for Those Who Died During the Epidemic?
In France, the strict measures to limit COVID‐19 contagion risks have dramatically increased “the loneliness of the dying” (Norbert Elias). These measures have also had severe repercussions on funeral rituals. This article uses philosophical anthropology to reflect on the events of 2020-2021, based on contemporary literature in medicine and sociology. It discusses the need to find meaning in deaths suffered during the epidemic. It suggests a parallel between the current organization of commemorative events for epidemic victims and the aftermath of mass death during wars; both are meant to compensate for survivors’ trauma. Shouldn’t the true meaning of the pandemic be to analyze these processes rather than celebrating a collective confrontation with a virus?