Nationalizing the patient and privatizing the loss: Ideological meaning-making in the aftermath of COVID-19-related loss

In this qualitative study, we explored the process of ideological meaning-making of bereaved individuals (N = 19) who have lost a close family member to Covid-19. Based on a thematic analysis three key themes emerged: “cut,” “fade out,” and “fade in.” Participants initially experienced a sudden disconnect (cut) that was forced onto the bereaved, both during the loved one’s illness period and after the loved one’s death. This “cut” was followed by a “fade out” of the social, medical, and institutional entities that had been highly involved in the illness period, leaving the bereaved to realize that they are no longer part of “the national struggle.” The “fade out” generated a “fade in” process, during which the collective sense of loss was forcefully replaced by a privatized one. This study provides a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between the social narratives of COVID-19, ideological meaning-making and bereavement.