Masks may control deadly coronavirus spread in Washington. But not bigotry
The first rule of war also applies to global pandemics: Don’t. Freak. Out.
Ask anyone who’s spent time in a foxhole, and they’ll tell you that hair-on-fire hysteria makes matters worse. In all things dangerous and complicated, being methodical and cautious ultimately wins the day.
Unfortunately, here in Washington, disinformation surrounding coronavirus is proliferating far faster than the disease itself.
Two weeks ago a Costco worker asked a family if they were Chinese, then directed them to step away from a sample stand. Naturally, the customers felt singled out and shamed. Costco has since apologized.
Incidents like this are why the Washington State Commission on Asian Pacific American Affairs, (CAPAA) and state government are working quickly on a preemptive education plan. The pace of this viral disease is growing by the day, but anti-Chinese sentiment should not.
There’s a different contagion we’d like to see spread: gestures of goodwill, like Tacoma’s Sister Cities Committee rallying to raise funds for medical supplies in China.
Don’t get us wrong; there are legitimate reasons for concern. As of this writing, the coronavirus strain that surfaced in Wuhan, China in late 2019 has now infected more than 60,000 people worldwide and killed more than 1,370.
But it’s one thing to exercise an abundance of caution, as Tacoma’s Annie Wright School did in January when four students were temporarily removed from the dorm after returning from a Lunar New Year visit to China. It’s quite another to target people solely on ethnicity.
Toshiko Hasegawa, executive director of CAPPA, told our Editorial Board that the line between caution and discrimination is frequently getting crossed. Since the deadly virus started making headlines, CAPPA’s received a steady flow of reports from around the state, stories that include racial stereotyping.
Heightened anxiety is understandable. Scientists are still grappling with how the virus started and are scrambling for ways to stop it. But experts are sure about one thing: Diseases aren’t spread by ethnicity.
Unfortunately, the potential for overreaction is still high. Hasegawa says a group of Bellevue School District parents recently tried to start a petition to get students of Chinese descent sequestered from the rest of their class.
“We understand best practices,” said Hasegawa, “but we also need to make sure civil rights are protected.” She warned that stigma over the disease could be counter-effective. “All people should feel safe and supported in their communities especially if they are in need of health care resources.”
It doesn’t help that false and dangerous claims swim in the cesspool of social media. It’s important to consult trusted sources of information, not Facebook, Twitter or Lyle from accounting.
No, the coronavirus isn’t a bioweapon let loose prematurely. And the World Health Organization confirms the deadly pathogen can’t be spread through the mail; it’s absolutely safe to receive letters or packages from China.
It’s also important to note that the risk for contracting coronavirus in Washington remains low. To date, only one person has tested positive, and the Wuhan visitor was released from an Everett hospital earlier this month.
Washington Health Secretary John Wiesman says, “There’s no need for restrictions on anyone who has not traveled from China in the last 14 days, or been in close contact with someone confirmed to have nCOV. Implementation measures should be balanced with reverence for peoples’ right to not be discriminated against.”
Oh, but it’s hard to combat popular perception when it seizes on misinformation. Indeed, Weisman and Hasegawa are fighting a battle on two fronts: preventing the spread of a disease while protecting people from something far more insidious: discrimination.
We wish them Godspeed.
This story was originally published February 14, 2020 at 5:30 AM.