De números y controversias

Las estadísticas argentinas del Covid-19 en el marco de la emergencia

Abstract

In the context of the health emergency generated by the COVID-19 pandemic, statistical figures, maps and graphs had a prominent place in the construction of a narrative of the crisis, in the political management of that situation and in the public discussion. From the perspective of the sociology of quantification, this article examines the controversies, disputes and negotiations that were generated around the official numbers of the pandemic in Argentina. From the survey of the press media with the capacity to influence the national political agenda, we reconstruct the public debates generated around these numbers, the positions of the actors involved and the dynamics of division and opposition generated. Finally, we reflect on the effects of statistics on the treatment of the pandemic, in terms of legitimizing public decisions, depoliticizing and re-politicizing public discussion.