>World Health Organization officials warned against calling COVID-19 the “Chinese virus” as U.S. President Donald Trump has done, saying that it could unintentionally lead to racial profiling.
>“Viruses no know borders and they don’t care about your ethnicity, the color of your skin or how much money you have in the bank. So it’s really important we be careful in the language we use lest it lead to the profiling of individuals associated with the virus,” Dr. Mike Ryan, the executive director of WHO’s emergencies program, said at a press conference Wednesday when asked about Trump’s comments inciting violence against Asians.
Trump defended his characterization of the coronavirus at a White House press conference discussing the pandemic Wednesday.
>“It’s not racist at all,” Trump said, “No, not at all.”
Trump was asked about his persistent use of the term “Chinese virus” despite reports that dozens of incidents of bias against Chinese-Americans who have been blamed for allegedly spreading the coronavirus.
>“Because it comes from China,” Trump said to the reporter who asked him that question. “That’s why.”
WHO officials INTENTIONALLY gave the virus a generic name to avoid stigmatizing a country or particular group, choosing a name that doesn’t refer to a geographical location, animals, an individual or a group of people. The CO stands for corona, the VI for virus and the D for disease. COVID-19 was first detected late last year.
>“Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said when the new name was announced Feb. 11.
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THEY'RE TRYING TO CHANGE HISTORY
