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Related: Lockdown Learning, discuss home schooling during lockdown.
Covid
To think that coronavirus has exposed a nasty undertone of racism?
AllHeart1 · 30/01/2020 13:05
Now I’ll admit that I can’t be doing with all the hysteria surrounding this. People wanting colleagues to stay off work because they’ve been to china/wanting to keep their kids off school because one of them has been to china/wanting Brits to be kept in china lest they bring the virus home.
While there have been some deaths, in comparison to the numbers of those diagnosed these are small and have occurred in people who mostly had already underlying health conditions.
But I can’t help thinking what these attitudes are actually saying about people’s attitudes towards the Chinese.
Quite apart from the above, I’ve seen people express concern that a package sent from China two weeks ago might infect them, followed by advice to quarantine it for two weeks and then spray with anti-bac before opening.
Wondering i f it’s safe to go to the local Chinese in case someone working there has been in contact with someone from China.
And someone I know personally who is of Chinese origin but grew up in this country being told that they should keep out of circulation because they’re Chinese and therefore could be infectious.
A lot of this is of course hysterical paranoia, but it seems to be spreading, and it gives out a very nasty message imho.
scaryteacher · 30/01/2020 14:53
The same would be true had this coronavirus occurred in Europe or the ME, or the US.
What it has done is shone a light on some of the less admirable Chinese habits like warm meat markets, and the fact they eat bats, snakes, wolf cubs etc, and that hygiene in these places isn't a strong point.
I don't think it's racist, but alarmist in some cases. However, I wouldn't want to catch this, and I don't blame anyone who doesn't.
nibdedibble · 30/01/2020 15:00
People no longer need any excuse to show their racism.
I read something yesterday about the Chinese medical staff who have been working their arses off trying to contain this and are mentally and physically exhausted. Good on them and we should be thanking them!
Notthemessiah · 30/01/2020 15:01
FFS - no wonder there's a 'woke backlash' when you read posts like this.
ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 30/01/2020 15:03
I think the bigger issue is people’s complete inability to assess risk.
fretnot · 30/01/2020 15:03
I agree, OP. I saw a couple of comments on the preppers board along the lines of “They really don’t follow instructions well, you know” about Chinese people. Absolutely horrible.
Chillicheese123 · 30/01/2020 15:05
Ffs I knew something like this would happen. I teach a child (not a teacher - but I teach !) who has been in China for New Year. He is due back next week after having 2 full weeks off school, and I said ‘I hope he gets back ok and isn’t delayed or anything due to the Coronavirus’ and my ‘friend’ complained I was being racist, and that just because he has been in China didn’t mean that he would bring the virus back. I didn’t frigging say that did I!!
Apirateslifeforme · 30/01/2020 15:08
I get what you're saying.
I have OCD and whilst I wasnt concerned a few days ago, it's really hit a nerve with me and I'm quite worried about it, but on the other hand, I have neighbours who are Chinese and they told me a few days ago they've had quite a few people being rude to them and one has been advised not to go to work because people might worry about her presence.
sweeneytoddsrazor · 30/01/2020 15:11
People get ridiculously hysterical about any likelihood of an infectious out break whereever it originates from. I'm sure if Spanish flu resurfaced then anybody who had been to Spain or happened to be Spanish would be treated with the same kind of hysteria. People need to get a grip.
JasminaPashmina · 30/01/2020 15:22
I agree with a PP who said that people are completely inept at assessing risk. The scare stories and overreactions to Corona are ridiculous.
Racists will jump on any reason to take a pop at a minority group.
I had a Chinese student in my office yesterday in tears because a man on the bus had asked her very loudly if she was contagious before sitting behind her and proceeding to chat loudly with basically everyone within earshot about how 'they' (meaning all the Chinese students at our University) needed rounding up and quarantining for a few months. No-one intervened, no-one stopped him, no-one called him out. In fact, a few people were agreeing with him 
Another student told me that someone sprayed antibacterial spray at him in Tesco and told him to 'go home'. He was okay about it (given he's from Wolverhampton and got a good sense of humour) but it was horrid to hear about.
Not only does this homogenise all Chinese people (and link them with being 'dirty' or having problematic food practices) it also completely ignores the fact that China is a fucking massive enormous fucking place. Again, complete ignorance.
I agree that we can most certainly perceive some Chinese food practices as problematic and dangerous. But we're not exactly in a position to talk when you look at the state of British diets and what it's doing to our population's health. I get it's different (chronic, not acute etc.) but we're not exactly in a position to start lecturing other countries about what they should and shouldn't be eating.
Drabarni · 30/01/2020 15:23
It was already there and has been for thousands of years. You don't have to look far to find it. The rise of Natziism through Europe is astounding, even with the Holocaust remembrance day being so recent too.
My dd attends a school with Chinese students, they aren't allowed home at half term and their guardians have all been informed.
j712adrian · 30/01/2020 15:24
I wouldn't say racism, but some of the paranoia definitiely reminds me of the AIDS panic..
AllHeart1 · 30/01/2020 15:26
So the fact it could happen somewhere else makes it ok then?
Never mind that people would then be avoiding Spanish/Turkish/Italian/ people?
AIDS/HIV is more prevalent in Africa in part due to high amounts of promiscuity and the fact that for some cultural reasons having sex with a virgin is said to cure people of the virus. It’s also more prevalent in gay men.
And when gay people were singled out because they were gay so “might have aids” those who weren’t quite so narrow-minded were horrified, and now it doesn’t happen any more other than by the completely bigoted amongst us.
Similarly would someone tell a woman not to have a relationship with a man from africa lest he be infected with the HIV virus. Normal precautions to have safe sex notwithstanding, singling out people based on prejudices should never be seen as ok, surely?
JasminaPashmina · 30/01/2020 15:26
I also had a discussion with some students the other day in a class where 80% are Chinese. The Chinese students were nearly all wearing masks which they said they were doing because of other people's perceptions and reactions. The Chinese students themselves knew they were at minimal risk of being infected and infecting others but wearing masks, they thought, was a way to demonstrate their responsibility and ward off ignorant remarks
nibdedibble · 30/01/2020 15:28
This is one of the main considerations in naming viruses these days. Attaching a place name or worse, a country name to a virus is actively avoided now.
OldGreyBoots · 30/01/2020 15:28
Sweenytoddsrazor Spanish flu didn't come from Spain though, or was any more prevalent there than any other affected country. It just so happened that the Spanish press were free to report on it without fearing an impact on military morale at the time, so they discussed it when others wouldn't.
PooWillyBumBum · 30/01/2020 15:29
I’ve literally just reported two comments on a Facebook group where a British woman wrote “do you think this’ll stop them eating rubbish” and another replied “no those ch ch people will eat anything everyone knows that”. So disgusting.
The comments were in response to a fake meme from the WHO advising people not to have sex with animals to avoid the virus spreading. The post is completely unrelated to the group, which is for expats living in France.
ZaraW · 30/01/2020 15:39
I'm in Bangkok next week for medical treatment. The Thais are worried their government is putting money before their health and will lose tourist revenue. Does that mean they are racist too OP?
Alpacathebag · 30/01/2020 15:42
It hasn't "exposed" racism. The racism has always been there, you've just not bothered to look for it before.
Juliette20 · 30/01/2020 15:44
YANBU, I've heard and see quite a few racist comments.
I know we don't have live food markets but we shouldn't be too proud of our own food standards with horsemeat and god knows what going into ready meals recently.
sweeneytoddsrazor · 30/01/2020 15:48
But it wouldn't stop the same hysteria @OldGreyBoots. And because the name thats what would happen.
Despite it being stressed that you dont catch aids without sexual contact did it stop hysteria when Aids first became a major panic. I vividly remember my ndn whose brother died of aids and before he could be buried as was his wish not cremation he had to be placed in a fully lead lined coffin before the undertaker /cemetery would agree. And whilst his family were allowed to visit the chapel of rest his coffin was not allowed to be opened. Such is the ignorance some people have when hysteria hits a nation.
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