Ritual
Coronavirus Cleansing
Maggie Johnston
St. Paul, Minnesota
2020

Informant Data:
Maggie Johnston is a white American female born on October 22, 1999 in Toronto, Canada. She currently lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. Maggie says that although she adheres to all government guidelines, she considers the threat of coronavirus to her or her family relatively minor; nevertheless, she adheres to a common ritual for packages ordered online to mitigate the risk of coronavirus. Maggie is a sophomore studying at Dartmouth College.

Contextual Data:
Partly because Minnesota has been more isolated from coronavirus than many other areas in the country and partly because Maggie’s father works as an eye surgeon who is already in contact with tens of patients a day, the risk of coronavirus is both reduced in the state—creating a culture of more lax protocols—and harder to mitigate in Maggie’s household.

Item: Maggie’s family leaves packages in a designated spot for a few days after receiving them to ensure they are cleansed of coronavirus. Like other variants, including leaving groceries in one’s garage for a period of time after purchase, this ritual serves the practical purpose of ensuring safety and cleanliness.

Kevin Xiao, 19
5517 London Way
San Ramon, CA 94582
Dartmouth College
Russ 13
Spring 2020