As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is being felt all over the world with lockdowns and businesses remaining shuttered people have been questioning when will our lives go back to normal. People are questioning the origins of this virus and research has shown Wuhan, China is where the virus first started. Since people are frustrated of what this virus has done to our lives, people are referring to name this virus as the "Wuhan Virus" or the "Wu Flu" or as the "Chinese Virus." According to the Washington Post, Joel Finkelstein who is the director of the Network Contagion Research Institute, a New Jersey-based nonprofit group that tracks hate speech online stated how the words fueling Asian racism are like a virus which leads to actions that are visible.
To start off, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been clear about the name to prevent stigmatization. In other words the WHO already told people not to use geographic labels for the virus. For example, the Spanish Flu of 1918 is an example for this. As the Spanish Flu pandemic reached epic proportions in the fall of 1918, it became commonly known as the Spanish Flu or the "Spanish Lady" in the United States and Europe. Many assumed this was because the sickness had originated on the Iberian Peninsula, but the nickname was actually the result of a widespread misunderstanding. While it's unlikely that the "Spanish Flu" originated in Spain, scientists are still unsure of its source. France, China and Britain have all been suggested as the potential birthplace of the virus, as has the United States with its first known case at a military base in Kansas.
In order for these racist words to describe the COVID-19 to go away, one must know how to be an anti-racist ally. Simply anyone can be an anti-racist ally by educating themselves and talking about issues of race and racism in the community. It is also essential to correct people who are calling it "Chinese Virus or "Kung Flu" or "Wuhan Virus". With this, it can organize and build power in communities and coalitions.