Paper short abstract:

We ask how are Dagestani medical landscapes (re)shaped by a powerful non-human actor - Sars-Cov-2? What is the role of social media in (re)shaping them? To answer, we reflect on the relationships between the state, religion (Islam), humans and other-than-human beings e.g. virus and medicinal plants.

Paper long abstract:

We aim to show the results of our explorations of the medical landscapes in Dagestan during the Covid-19 epidemic. Although it is not reflected in the statistics, this predominantly Muslim republic in the Russian Federation, have suffered severely during the spring outbreak (the autumn outbreak has only started). In spring hospitals were overflown with patients suffering from pneumonia-like symptoms, morgues run out of space, several mountainous villages have lost all their elders. The religious authorities took over the role of the state authorities and ask people to eat healthy foods and shelter in place.

To cope with the virus, fear and uncertainty many turned to the practices aiming at enhancing the capacity of immune system e.g. herbal medicine, hijama (cupping) or body cleansing. Others shut down their villages and decided to rely on self-subsistence focusing on cattle herding and plant gathering.

An outbreak of Covid-19 pandemic was a trigger for us to ask how are Dagestani medical landscapes (re)shaped by a powerful non-human actor - Sars-Cov-2? What is the role of social media in (re)shaping them? The deep ethnographic reflection on the relationships between the state, religion (Islam), humans and other-than-human beings is crucial for understanding medical landscapes there. We apply more-than-human approach that allows for a broad and multi-aspect understanding of significance of such actors as viruses or plant species used for self-medication, local and non-local plants and botanicals used in Islamic medicine. We will show their new entanglements in local medical landscapes occurring due to the epidemic.