Lady Gaga performed on stage with Covid. Did we learn nothing from the pandemic? | Arwa Mahdawi

The revelation that the popstar was ill during five shows has led to many celebrating her work ethic. It's yet more evidence that our dangerous, damaging hustle culture is here to stay

Should you go into work when you're sick with a contagious virus? Lady Gaga has spoken and the answer, it seems, is sure, why not?" During a recent Q&A for a HBO concert special based on her 2022 Chromatica Ball tour, the pop star was asked to reveal something she had never shared before. In response, she said that she'd performed five shows while sick with Covid. It probably would have been wise to never share that little titbit, to be honest, and it is a little disturbing to nonchalantly share it now. Still, rather than seeming troubled by this information, the crowd watching the Q&A appeared to cheer and applaud while Lady Gaga grinned.

To be fair, Lady Gaga isn't a monster (though her fans are - they call themselves Little Monsters"): she made it clear that she did have a little think about the ethics of spewing infectious droplets into an enclosed space. The singer said she shared her Covid diagnosis with everyone on her team at the time and told them they didn't have to work if it made them uncomfortable. As for the concertgoers? The way that I saw it is the fans are all putting themselves in harm's way every day coming to the show," she reasoned.