[1] Her research covers the 19th century United States, with a focus on the antebellum South, Caribbean, slavery, capitalism, and disease.
[8] As part of her work, Olivarius has been credited with inventing the concept of "immunocapital,"[9] [10] whereby attaining immunity to a given disease confers social, economic, and political advantages, in some cases reinforcing existing racial and class hierarchies.
In antebellum New Orleans, wealthy elites used this immunity to maintain their dominance, as politicians resisted public health measures, arguing that acclimation through exposure was necessary for the working class.
[11] In an April 2020 New York Times article, Olivarius critiques a proposal from conservative outlet The Federalist that advocated for young, healthy Americans to intentionally contract COVID-19 to build "herd immunity" and revive the economy.
Drawing parallels to the yellow fever epidemics of 19th-century New Orleans, Olivarius warned that a similar dynamic could unfold with COVID-19, cautioning against allowing immunity to become a marker of privilege and deepen existing inequalities, particularly in employment and access to resources, as pandemics historically worsen social divides.