Dear West Chester University,
On the news, fear of the Corona Virus has touched every major outlet as a major competitor for air time next to news of President Donald Trump’s impeachment. As several cases have appeared in the United States, I wanted to touch on the problems of fear-mongering and racism that I’ve seen go hand-in-hand with the rise of the epidemic.
The Corona Virus has killed fewer people than influenza has in the United States alone. Just like most serious illnesses, more vulnerable populations of people tend to be the ones who are affected by such illnesses the most: infants, the elderly, those without proper access to healthcare and those who are immunocompromised.
I strongly believed that the biggest reason the Corona Virus seems so scary is that it started overseas. We often associate China with being a “scary” place and while the Chinese government is far from ideal, Chinese citizens with family, friends and full lives ahead of them are not to blame.
Much like Ebola and the Swine Flu, those who are most affected are the demographics of people I mentioned above. I was not alive during the last time the United States had a true epidemic — the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It took the lives of thousands, killing more people than the Vietnam War. The epidemic was a tragedy seeped in politics and bureaucracy; named the “gay disease,” public health administration was nonresponsive to the tragedy for years due to discrimination and hateful attitudes towards the people it affected the most.
Epidemics, understandably, incite fear. Fear makes people irrational and looking for something — or someone — to blame. We have seen far, far worse than the Corona Virus, and I hope that we do not turn this epidemic into a means in which to incite violence and hatred towards everyday Chinese citizens. In the face of disease, we are more than capable of holding onto our humanity. Some people simply choose not to.
Take care of yourselves, West Chester, and don’t forget to be compassionate. Know where your news comes from, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Sincerely,
Samantha Walsh