Recuperation – for the nation as well as the individual – requires attention, care and even grace
Recovery from ill-health and injury is underrated. In the UK, and many other parts of the world, getting back to work as quickly as possible after sickness is what the neoliberal culture tells everyone to do (and workers indeed may have little choice in the matter in the world of the gig economy and zero-hours contracts). There is little societal value placed on convalescence – itself a tellingly old-fashioned word.
Despite the efforts of the medical profession, there are occasions when patients, once their immediate problems have been patched up, feel themselves set loose to recover as best they can on their own. Most of us know how difficult this process can be – even the recovery from trivial complaints can be a trial, let alone that from serious disorders. Sometimes, indeed, a full recovery may not be possible, and the goal may be to regain a measure of dignity and autonomy while living with pain or disease. The large number of people suffering from long Covid is now forcing societies to try to understand, and have compassion for, recoveries that are especially long and fraught, with no clear outcomes.
