hygiene theater
English
Etymology
hygiene + theater
Noun
hygiene theater (uncountable)
- Acts of cleaning intended more for the purpose of making an area appear safe and clear of disease-causing agents than actually so.
- 2021: Washington Post
- The persistence of such practices has led to the advent of a derisive term — ‘hygiene theater’ — to describe rituals that appear to do little to stop the virus from spreading.
- 2021: The Atlantic
- It seems baffling that despite mounting evidence of [ventilation's] importance, we are stuck practicing hygiene theater—constantly deep cleaning everything—while not noticing the air we breathe.
- 2021: Washington Post