3 ms·
Labels can be used innocently. But they can be used maliciously (e.g. "the China virus"). Once a malicious variant has been found, we should stop using it. It
by outworlder 5y ago
Labels can be used innocently. But they can be used maliciously (e.g. "the China virus").
Once a malicious variant has been found, we should stop using it.
It is not distracting to call a variant "Delta" instead of a country. If anything, it removes distractions.
- fakedang 5y agoI don't get the logic behind terming "China virus" as malicious use, while we call past viruses names such as "Middle East Respiratory Syndrome" and "Spanish flu" and "Japanese encephalitis". The only difference between one and the rest is that its host country it was named after raised a ruckus about it in a highly biased and obliging media under a belligerent president, while the other countries either did not care enough in the past or in the present.
- wmil 5y agoOriginally people were using "Wuhan Flu", which was consistent with norms. Then the CCP launched a massive international PR campaign to declare that racist. Then the CCP started domestically claiming it was from the American government and calling it the American virus. At this time Andrew Cuomo was calling it "a European virus" to appease China. So Trump started saying "China virus" out of spite. Trump supporters followed suit.
- krapp 5y agoHe also called it the "Kung Flu."
- rocha 5y agoHere are the arguments that the WHO used in 2015 to change the practices for naming new infectious diseases: https://www.who.int/news/item/08-05-2015-who-issues-best-practices-for-naming-new-human-infectious-diseases https://www.who.int/news/item/08-05-2015-who-issues-best-pra...