Sunday, March 22, 2020

Coronavirus isn't a 'Chinese virus' no matter what Trump says

https://www.cnet.com/news/coronavirus-isnt-a-chinese-virus-no-matter-what-trump-says/

The counterargument Trump and many of his supporters make is that we've historically named viruses after locations. There's the Spanish flu and the Ebola and Zika viruses. So why the fuss now?
Let's take the Spanish flu, which many cite as an example of a virus being named after its place of origin. In reality, it got its name because Spain during World War I was the first to report that its citizens were dying from the flu, and other countries feared it might hamper their fundraising efforts for the war. The Spanish called it the French flu, and some researchers believe it may have originated in Kansas
Also, things have changed. We're a lot more aware of the consequences of being cavalier with our words. In 2015, the WHO established best practices for naming new infectious diseases. The guidelines address the fact that these previous labels carried negative effects on certain populations. (Here's the WHO guide on dealing with social stigma.)

 

14 comments :

  1. It is actually a bat virus. Some scientists in China have been researching the viruses in bats, and they found these Chinese bats carry dozens of corona virus types. Sars was also from Chinese bats. And covid is SARS brother. The virus jumped from bats to other live animals in Wuhan market, and then to humans. These live markets are disgusting, wild animals, illegal animals, monkey, pangolin, civets etc. Don't tell me it's not from China, that's like holocaust denial.

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  2. Originated in Wuhan. Wuhan, China. Therefore, Chinese. No matter what you say.

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  3. if it had originated in Israel you of course would insist it be called the jewish virus

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  4. this is in Scientific American, and shows the research carried out on Bat coronavirus family in China
    https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-chinas-bat-woman-hunted-down-viruses-from-sars-to-the-new-coronavirus1/


    there are many more still lurking in those bats!

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  5. Bats in UK carry Rabies like virus. Squirrels in the USA carry bubonic plague.

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  6. Ebola was transferred to apes by Bats in Africa. The apes were killed by savages, they call it "bush meat". That Ebola outbreak originated in ...Africa. it is nto racist to make such a statement.

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  7. It's more than that. There was a state coverup. This thing might been nipped in the bud if the Chinese doctors hadn't initially been labelled enemies of the state.

    The Chinese system foisted this on this.

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  8. Once it got in humans it may have mutated somewhat also according to some researchers.

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  9. ha, well maybe it mutated seveal times, between bats, then it took a route, through the various species in the live market at Wuhan, till it finally spread to humans.
    A couple of months ago we read about the a virus that was killing Half of China's pigs, now this!

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  10. Think they'd be willing to call it the Shechem Virus if it originated there? That would present quite the dilemma wouldn't it?

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  11. By any standard, you will lose this argument. The virus comes from China and its spread was facilitated by China. If you say "Well the Spanish flu didn't start in Spain but is called that because that's where the first big outbreak was" then again, the first big outbreak was in China.
    The pushback against calling it the China Virus is because of Trump Derangement Syndrome. Trump called it the China virus, therefore "correct thinking" folks have to now defend China and its horrible behaviour in infecting the world.

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  12. NOPE!

    WHYdon't most researchers and doctors refer to it like trump? your answer is that most of the intelligent people in the world disagree with trump purely from spite?!

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  13. Ebola is a river in that part of Africa

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  14. from which the virus gets its name, yemach shmam

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