Hate for people based on variant

[allmixedup12]

Before I start, for context I am a mixed race brit with British-Indian parents. I live in London and think it is an incredible place to be able to live and work.

Here is my issue - My father recently died of COVID19 in India, so I rushed from the UK to Delhi to be with my mom. It was sudden and devastating, and we are slowly trying to heal. However, we are grateful he did not suffer for long and have tried to make sense of it all. The situation in the country is truly appalling with so many senseless deaths. I am with my mother as long as it will take to help her heal and then return to the UK. Dont worry I have already recovered from COVID and wont pose a risk to anyone back home!

However, I have recently noticed a trend in the UK media which I find very disturbing and it is making me very uncomfortable to read some articles. Soon after the pandemic took force in India in April, the UK government put India on the red list, which I guess was understandable to protect the public health. UK was one of the first countries to do this, well ahead of the US and many european countries. So while the UK media goes to town on Johnson and co, they were reasonably fast compared to most others.

However, i note that my iphone news feed from most major news outlets - BBC, The telegraph and guardian - have a constant stream of articles about "indian variant" - the tone of many articles smacks of racism to me and it is really bothering me.

Travel restrictions aside, more recently the amount of media noise and articles quoting the "indian variant" as the source of all evil in the UK seems to be rife. Little known detail is that the increase in many parts of the UK has nothing to do with this variant as clarified here - www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-variants-genomically-confirmed-case-numbers/variants-distribution-of-cases-data

This feels very much like a vitrolic building up against Indian-origin people to me. I guess chinese/east asian origin people may have felt this way in Feb/March 20.

Sure, there is a variant and it was first detected in India. But there is so much media reporting which constantly keeps talking the variant as being Indian, it is almost as if the Indians all got together and came up with a variant to make the worlds life a misery (rest assured it is hurting people in India more than anyone else).

The WHO have also cautioned against naming variants in this manner because it is accusatory to the country where it is first detected - it could easily have been imported into the country from elsewhere.

On top of this, why call the variants as "Indian" or "Brazilian" but the virus is not called "Chinese". Two wrongs do not make a right, so i do not think it should be the Chinese virus, but I also think "Indian variant" demonizes Indians, "Brazilian variant" demonizes Brazilians. I am also curious why the variants detected in the UK are named according to local areas such as "Kent" but not british. Ironically, I live in Kent.

There is also no sympathy for British citizens who have ties to India and who have no choice but to travel to India to fulfil their duties as sons/daughters/grandchildren/nieces/nephews etc. So many people went to India to care/grieve for their dying/dead family members - and the media seems to be baying for blood as if to never let those brits ever come back to the UK and close the shutters. See article below as context

www.lbc.co.uk/news/revealed-over-100-direct-flights-from-india-landed-in-uk-since-country-was-place/

Sure many brits may not have international ties, but so many people who live in the UK do - it is such an extraordinarily global place. In this day and age, how can people act as if having the necessity to travel abroad is frivolous should somehow be stopped/punished and it is somehow bad...brits do not come in one shape and size i.e. white british with all family in buckhingamshire ffs

Just feel completely disillusioned. is this how you all feel about the news reporting/general feel on social media or AIBU?

I haven't seen my family and friends at all since this started. I'm on my fifth online funeral on Monday. I COULD travel but I won't because it's not worth the risk.

@UberMullet

I haven't seen my family and friends at all since this started. I'm on my fifth online funeral on Monday. I COULD travel but I won't because it's not worth the risk.

Indeed. We've all been unable to attend funerals, comfort loved ones, within our own country. I'm sorry but I don't think people should be allowed to travel to somewhere so rife right the virus.

Where I live the numbers got very low in December and then peaked in 3rd wave due to people travelling over Xmas. If people had just stayed put many people would still be alive now. It makes me quite furious.

I’m not sure about how better variants could be named, but I think linking the virus or particular variants with a geographical location can lead to people connecting the virus somehow to their underlying prejudices.

YANBU - I've been worried from the outset that all this talk about the Indian variant and trying to blame it for setbacks would cause racism. Seems obvious to me, it's just going to pander to their far right audience. It is the governments fault about whether or not they closed borders, not individuals fault.

So fwiw people can see it and YANBU. Doesn't make it any better though. Sorry for your loss

@DrinkFeckArseBrick

Pl see

www.cdc.gov/quarantine/fr-proof-negative-test.html Many countries, including US have acknowledged that for a certain period of time after covid recovery you are not infectious to others and cannot transmit/be at risk again

OP, I’m so sorry to hear about your father. You and your mum will be in my thoughts and prayers. You are not being unreasonable, it is devastating how it is being portrayed in media. My husband and I were discussing it this morning. Sadly, I think this thread will prove you right. It hasn’t taken long for the worms to crawl out.

To the poster who said it was the same as the “Kent variant” obviously it’s nowhere near the same. You are either being ignorant beyond belief or goady of a poster who has had a recent bereavement.

@Definately, what a heartless and vile comment, shame on you.

I am sorry for your loss, but MANY of us missed numerous funerals and did not get a chance to go and help families in last year and a bit.

Variants are named after origin. It's not just UK or English speaking media reporting it like that so, no, in my honest opinion, it really is not about building hate towards Indians.

Kent was called British or English, South African, Brasilian, New York one. I agree with pps. It's simply where it was located or where it supposedly originated from.

Sadly the indian os discussed LOT more than the others because of what is happening there.

I hope you will be ok

OP I’m from the north west. We now have the new ‘Yorkshire variant’ coming in to play. All the others are old hat.

Don’t take it personally.

So deeply sorry for your loss. What’s happening in India is shocking. That being said, I am Indian with parents in India whom I haven’t seen in almost 2 years, and I still feel that flights from India should not be landing here right now. The reality is that the variant did start in India, so I don’t know what else it could / should be called.

I'm sorry for your loss OP. However, having chosen to go to India to comfort and care for your mother, it does seem wrong to me, that you think you should be allowed back into the UK, possibly bringing another variant of the virus with you. Some might think I'm being unkind, but during lockdown here in the UK, many people were unable to go and comfort relatives, or attend funerals only a few miles away, so what makes you so different? At least you had the choice whether to go or not, and you must have known at the time, that you may not be allowed back into the country, so you should understand a certain animosity that you were allowed to travel home.

@WickedQueen

covid19 should be called the Chinese virus...which is clearly insane, at least from my vantage point

I don’t think it’s that insane 🤷🏻‍♀️ I mean I’m not wandering around calling it the Chinese virus myself, but that’s where it came from. What’s the issue with speaking about that?

I’m sorry about your dad, that’s awful

The issue with covid19 being called the Chinese virus is it propagates prejudice against Chinese people

I am sorry for your loss, but I think you are being over sensitive and YABU. France and other European countries call the Kent variant the English variant, just as we have the South African, Indian, Brazilian variants, and no doubt many more to come

I also think we should have closed borders to all the countries with big variants sooner than we did and the Government learnt for the Indian variant, and even then gave 5 days notice.

I don’t have a problem with then calling the variant after the place it came from. It’s easier than the actual name they give of a load of numbers

The issue with covid19 being called the Chinese virus is it propagates prejudice against Chinese people

No it doesn’t

It's the way it goes, isn't it? The UK was plague island back in January and Feburary, now it's India's turn. Soon the virus will move on to a new epicentre. Most sensible people don't hold the a actual residents of a country responsible. From what I've seen and heard there's a massive amount of sympathy for the people of India, and that's from people that you wouldn't normally expect it from.

My American friends have been complaining about the ‘British’ variant since New Year.

@Chloemol

I am sorry for your loss, but I think you are being over sensitive and YABU. France and other European countries call the Kent variant the English variant, just as we have the South African, Indian, Brazilian variants, and no doubt many more to come

I also think we should have closed borders to all the countries with big variants sooner than we did and the Government learnt for the Indian variant, and even then gave 5 days notice.

I don’t have a problem with then calling the variant after the place it came from. It’s easier than the actual name they give of a load of numbers

I’m genuine surprised their wasn’t a Dubai variant. My eldest dd lives there it is was just open season after the initial lockdown.

OP I'm sorry for your loss

Like the rest of the world (except the UK media and government) I refer to the UK variant as the UK variant because that's what it is (and it looks like we've got a new UK strain now too).

The failed UK border restrictions are actually a major reason why India is suffering so badly. Before the Indian variant took hold (and even after) much of the problem there was caused by the UK exporting the UK strain to India.

Many countries sensibly bar entry to UK passengers.

A virus doesn't care about nationality. It loves movement of people though especially mass travel.

Every country needs border restrictions and proper quarantine during a pandemic. For the sake of destination, stopover, and arrival countries.

I’m genuine surprised their wasn’t a Dubai variant. My eldest dd lives there it is was just open season after the initial lockdown.

Hasn't UAE gone really fast with their vaccine rollout? Second only to Israel. They've starting on children (over 12) now aren't they?

Firstly, I am so sorry for the loss of you father.

I am a British born Indian with family in India and don't agree at all if I'm honest.

The only part I agree is that the media twist things to their advantage. However if you look at foreign media, you will note that they all refer to Kent variant as the UK variant and most of the world had a similar outlook towards to UK from Dec to Mar as we currently have towards India. It is nothing to do with the citizens but simply that the mutation originated from there and it is the easiest way to identify. If we used the actual names, they would still end up being accompanied by the name of the country they originated from.

The hate towards China is also partly because of the secrecy and poor reporting at the start and allowing it to spread before letting the rest of the world know. Of course the majority of people know you can't blame every SE Asian individual for that but some people are ignorant.

UK acted very late in putting India on the red list and it absolutely needs to be there. Traveling there is not banned and if you need to go back for an urgent reason, you can but hotel quarantine is absolutely the right decision for the benefit of this country. Those travelling are not being hung out to dry and are allowed to return to UK. This virus needs to be suppressed as much as possible globally and it isn't going to happen if everywhere has free and open borders. The variant that has originated in India ideally needs to be contained as much as possible before it mutates further to allow vaccines to be distributed and take effect. I am saying this as someone who also lost a close family member abroad and did not travel back. Fortunately I had other family members who were also there so noone was alone but I would have expected quarantine had I decided to go

I don't know anyone who thinks negatively of another for travelling to India on circumstances such as yours but look at how the countries that have successfully handled this pandemic have done so. Its about time the UK government pull their finger out and learn some lessons

I’m very sorry to hear about your father. You did the right thing to go to support your mother.

YANBU

In Australia, we only refer to the UK variant.

But, in Australia - this has been the only time Australian citizens were forbidden to return to their own country from India (with jail penalties if they did). Australia did not do this at the time other variants were taking off.

There was no justification for the new rule for India - which has now lapsed. The only reason for treating India flights (for Australian nationals) differently was ...racism.

I agree with many posters here that freewheeling travel without restrictions cannot be allowed and despite the costs involved, I can see the logic for the quarantine system to go back home

My concern has been about the hostility with which UK media is portraying the fact that a flight channel is open to go to India - despite the strict quarantine measures being in place. Maybe I am seeing it in a particular way given the situation...

I suppose the worry is that people don't quarantine properly after returning from India.

@allmixedup12

I agree with many posters here that freewheeling travel without restrictions cannot be allowed and despite the costs involved, I can see the logic for the quarantine system to go back home

My concern has been about the hostility with which UK media is portraying the fact that a flight channel is open to go to India - despite the strict quarantine measures being in place. Maybe I am seeing it in a particular way given the situation...

To be honest I don’t think the measures are anywhere near strict enough. Arrivals from red list countries mixing with arrivals from amber and green list countries at Heathrow - this was in the news just a few days ago. I don’t see any hostility personally

I really don’t think it’s about hostility or racism.

I think people genuinely NEED us to come out of this now and the thought of a massive setback (eg vaccine-escaping variant) is just unspeakable. So there is fear and worry and anger. It’s not personal.