The way we understand illness is rarely defined by science alone. That is particularly evident when there are gaps in scientific knowledge – cliche and prejudice fill the void. Narratives of karmic debts, secret conspiracies, and depraved deviants offer the most irresistible explanation. In our fractious times, misinformation – spread wittingly and unwittingly – through the media and online only exacerbates these fallacies.
We see this today both in media coverage and public response to the Coronavirus outbreak. Overnight, to be from Wuhan – or even just to be Chinese – is to be a dangerous “other” to be shunned, banned from entry (regardless of the medical rationale for such a decision), and even blamed for the outbreak. In a matter of days, millions of mostly healthy people have found themselves trapped in their own homes – and unwelcome anywhere else.
As social scientists, we fear that such dangerous narratives are encouraging racism and hate by portraying vulnerable populations as virulent carriers, rather than victims worthy of empathy and sympathy. The outbreak comes at a time when mainland Chinese people are already facing prejudice in neighbouring Asia countries. In Hong Kong, mainlanders have long been referred to by the slur “locust”. This intra-ethnic mockery, of course, plays out against a broader political battle for sovereignty from Beijing.
