Trump Draws Backlash For Labeling Coronavirus A ‘Chinese Virus’ On Twitter

KEY POINTS

Trump called coronavirus a “Chinese Virus” while voicing his support for the industries that have been majorly affected by the outbreak
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the remark was inaccurate as it could expose Asian Americans to a potential danger
WHO named the disease COVID-19 to deter people from identifying it based on location or ethnicity.

President Donald Trump’s Monday night tweet in which he categorized coronavirus as “Chinese virus” has backfired. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio and many other internet users have condemned the remark for its xenophobic undertones.

Trump gave an address on Monday afternoon in which he said the country is likely to face a prospect of recession as a result of the widespread outbreak and urged people to practice social distancing. He released a set of guidelines for Americans which reflected the government’s increasing concerns over stemming the spread. He tweeted later in the night that the United States will back the industries that have seen their sales plunge at the onset of the “Chinese Virus.”

"The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!" he wrote in the tweet.

The reference clearly didn’t go down well with social media users, while De Blasio called him out for misleading the people and exposing Asian Americans to a potential danger.

“If you’re looking for someone to pin this crisis on, try the guy who made up a phony Google website or promised testing kits that he STILL hasn’t delivered,” De Blasio wrote in a tweet. “Our Asian-American communities — people YOU serve — are already suffering. They don’t need you fueling more bigotry.”

The World Health Organization (WHO) named the disease COVID-19 to deter people from identifying it based on location and ethnicity in February.

“From a risk communications perspective, using the name SARS can have unintended consequences in terms of creating unnecessary fear for some populations, especially in Asia which was worst affected by the SARS outbreak in 2003,” WHO said in a statement earlier.

Trump earlier this month labeled coronavirus a “foreign virus” in his address and also retweeted a supporter referring to the virus as “China Virus.” It also prompted a public outcry across the nation.

CDC director Robert R. Redfield said it was “absolutely wrong” for Trump to typically associate the virus with China as it by then had spread well beyond the country and to the other parts of the world.

As of Monday, as many as 4,661 positive cases have been reported in the United States with 48 deaths.