We need to talk about #COVID-19

But we need to speak accurately about the risk from #COVID-19, based on scientific data and latest official health advice. pic.twitter.com/TKetPJEPvT

— Rabina Khan 🔶 (@RabinaKhan) March 12, 2020

On 11^th March 2020, I delivered a speech at Tower Hamlets Council as part of my amendment to an emergency cross-party briefing to ensure that the way in which the council communicates does not marginalise people.

In preparation for this Roderick Lynch – Chair of Liberal Democrat Campaign for Racial Equality – and I had a meeting about how an “infodemic” of misinformation and rumours spreading about the outbreak of (the then new) coronavirus could potentially stoke fear and panic.

Facts, not fear, can stop the spread of COVID-19, so the way in which we talk about the virus and fact-check can shape how we engage and protect all our communities.

There has been a spike in bias and hate towards certain groups including Chinese, Italians, Spanish and the homeless, so it is crucial to challenge xenophobic speech, finger-pointing speech, and bigoted attitudes. The EU’s Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) reported a rise in racist attacks on people judged to be of Chinese or Asian descent and also stated that these demographics in Europe have faced discrimination when trying to access health services.

The reporting forum, Stop AAPI Hate, has been recording instances of anti-Asian harassment since it was set up in late March. These reports include anti-Asian racism on the streets of the UK, Australia and India. An analysis by Al Jazeera found more than 10,000 posts on Twitter that included the term “kung-flu” during March alone, along with offensive terms such as “chop fluey” and “rice rabies”.

Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok are attempting to ensure that reliable sources of information on COVID-19 are promoted high on their sites. These platforms have also sought to counter racist narratives by promoting campaigns such as #IamNOTAVIRUS.

The World Health Organisation has published a guide to prevent and address social stigma associated with COVID-19.  It is not a “plague” or an “Asian” disease; and people with COVID-19 should not be described as “spreading the virus”. WHO urged the media to ensure that their coronavirus coverage does not fuel widespread fear or perpetuate negative stereotypes and assumptions. Whilst most world leaders have been conscious of this, it did not stop President Trump from using biased language when describing the pandemic.

The official name, COVID-19, was deliberately chosen to avoid stigmatisation; the “CO” stands for corona, “VI” for virus and “D” for disease and the number 19 because the disease emerged in 2019.

WHO’s guidance on dos and don’ts, includes words and phrases that should and should not be used. Patients with COVID-19 should not, for example, be referred to as “COVID-19 cases” or “victims”, nor should they be talked about as “transmitting COVID-19”, “infecting others” or “spreading the virus”, as this assigns blame and implies that they are intentionally transmitting it. Instead, people who have the virus should be described as “having COVID-19” and “acquiring” or “contracting” COVID-19.

It is crucial to encourage people to check the legitimacy of anything that they read online, unless it has come from a genuine, reliable source.

We, as a party, need to call on the Government to step up action against crime perpetuated by the coronavirus pandemic. I and LDCRE are so pleased that Christine Jardine MP and Daisy Cooper MP have written to the Home Secretary to set out what additional steps the Government is taking to prevent coronavirus-related hate crimes towards the Chinese community.

* Rabina Khan is a councillor in Tower Hamlets and Special Advisor to Lib Dem peers. Her book, book My Hair is Pink Under This Veil (BiteBack Publishers) is due out in March 2021.