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By APD writer Alice
The novel coronavirus epidemic has created stigma everywhere. From Asia to Europe, politicians and experts all think that the stigma or sharing fake news are exacerbating the disease.
From Wuhan (China) back to Vietnam on January 10, Quoc Huy (26 years old, from Vinh Phuc province) - a university student in the city identified as the site where the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) originated - initially did not face any problem.
However, since Vietnam had the first case of coronavirus infection, "people had a different view, as if they thought that people like me were germs or criminals," Huy said.
Some even asked Huy, "Why don't you go for quarantine?" or "Why don't you stay in Wuhan?", even though he had been isolated at home for 14 days as regulated and had no signs of illness.
"Now when I go out and tell that I come back from Wuhan, no one will play with me," Huy said with sadness.
Not only Quoc Huy, many other Vietnamese students returning from Wuhan have been remote from people around due to fear that "they bring the coronavirus to the home country", even though they all passed through incubation period, with no abnormal symptoms.
Those living in China, the epicenter of the epidemic, or being present in this country during the outbreak, and Asians in the world have faced even more severe discrimination.
Ingrid Chang (22, Canadian of Taiwanese origin) shared on social network a video clip shot by her sister at a parking lot in British Columbia, Canada. In this clip, a man told her mother and sister ironically that "You are dropping the coronavirus".
While he was laughing, the two of them were shocked and didn't know what to say. Then, Chang's sister stepped forward in front of the man and condemned this behavior.
He calmly said he had made the same comment to the other 10 and laughed as if it was just a joke.
“It's hard to know if he is racist or not. I just know that saying made me and my family uncomfortable, ” Chang said.
This small story is like many stories that have been shared by Chinese in Asia and Asians around the world in recent weeks. They all had in common that they were outraged and discriminated from unwarranted concern that people of Asian origin are involved in the Covid-19 epidemic which broke out in Wuhan, China.
The epidemic has created stigma throughout the world. The fear should be shown in the thinking of disease prevention rather than taking precautions against all that could be related to this disease.
From Asia to Europe and America, politicians and experts all said that the stigma or sharing fake information are exacerbating the disease situation.
"We will update the information daily and hope the public will turn to reliable news sources instead of those spread on social networks," Malaysian Health Minister Dzulkefly Ahmad said.
Michael Ryan, Executive Director to the World Health Organisation (WHO) Health Emergencies Programme, stressed that there should be no stigma associated with the new strain of coronavirus.
Our responsibility is to make sure there is no discrimination related to this disease. It's unnecessary and doesn't bring in any benefits, Ryan said at a meeting on the epidemic at WHO headquarters.
At an airport in Australia, Erin Wen Ai Chew – a 37-year-old businessman of Chinese descent- witnessed a white woman watching all Asians passing by, especially those wearing masks, as if she was looking for signs of coronavirus infection.
Chew deliberately approached the woman and coughed softly, causing her to rush away with her eyes wide in terror.
“I know people will only look at our black hair and yellow skin to judge. Anger, indignation and fear run towards us in public places. We become victims of racism,” Chew said.
The Verge said viruses often cause panic. But the coronavirus has spread something else besides false information and baseless rumors: xenophobia and anti-Chinese sentiment.
Like Erin Wen Ai Chew, Chinese or Asians from all over the world can receive unfriendly looks, and even are verbally abused and assaulted as they are "possibly related to coronavirus". .
“In France, racism is more contagious than the coronavirus.” That’s the headline of the Courrier International as the country finds itself in the grips of a nasty, Coronavirus-sparked, racist epidemic, according to Forbes.
Preparing to leave the gym in Paris, a man of Asian origin was discriminated against by a group of French people. “A man pointed his finger at me and shouted: 'Hey coronavirus!'. Then 7-8 of them laughed. This is not fun at all.”
Comments targeting Asians, especially the Chinese community, overwhelmed French social media.
“I always keep an eye on Chinese people taking on the same bus. If one of them coughs, I'll jump right out the window,” one wrote.
Meanwhile, others blamed the Chinese’s wildlife habit for spreading the virus.
On a public bus trip back home in Los Angeles, the US, Tanny Jiraprapasuke (a 44-year-old American of Thai origin) was yelled at by a man shouting that she was related to coronavirus.
In a video recorded by Jiraprapasuke, this person criticized "China is the source of coronavirus" and used harsh words to talk about Americans of Chinese origin. The only Asian on that train, Jiraprapasuke felt lonely.
"I'm not Chinese, but he attacked me based on his feelings," Jiraprapasuke said. The online community also constantly shared the image of "banning Chinese" signs in restaurants and hotels in Italy, Thailand, Japan, and South Korea.
An online petition signed by parents in a region in Ontario, Canada, asked the school board to force parents with children or family members returning from China to “isolate themselves at home for least 17 days”.
In fact, the coronavirus-related discrimination exists not only in the West or Asian countries, but also in China itself. The epidemic caused anyone living and working in Wuhan, the heart of the epidemic, even though they did not get the virus, to be ostracized, according to the New York Times.
On January 30, a video clip posted on Weibo showed that Kang's 8-member family in Lishui district, Jiangsu province was locked inside by a long group of men from the same locality.
“This family has just returned from Wuhan. Do not contact! ” is the notice the neighbors left on the wall outside Kang's house.
Those who blocked the door announced Kang's family would be quarantined within 14 days. Their supplies were then delivered to their home and paid by the house owner.
The atmosphere full of stigma due to the coronavirus at present was ever seen in the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic, which originated in Guangdong province, China in 2002 and claimed the lives of nearly 800 people around the world.
In an email sent to Los Angeles Times, Mark Tseng-Putterman, a graduate student in American studies at Brown University, said rumors and unfounded skepticism about the coronavirus have kept spreading. Meanwhile, thousands of people died, millions of Chinese families were dismembered and countless health workers are risking their lives to stop the virus. That is disappointing. ”
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised people not to panic about the coronavirus and against stereotyping people.
On February 15, speaking at the 56th Munich Security Conference in Germany, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for solidarity in fighting COVID-19.
“The outbreaks of Ebola and COVID-19 underscore once again the vital importance for all countries to invest in preparedness and not panic,” said he.
“This is a time for facts, not fear. This is a time for rationality, not rumours. This is a time for solidarity, not stigma,” Tedros concluded.
By 12:20 on February 21, the total number of COVID-19 infections in the world reached 76,716, including 2,247 deaths. The respective figures in mainland China were 75,465 and 2,236.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
