Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump's Xenophobic Label For Coronavirus Has Experts Worried About Hate Crimes, Escalated Tensions With China
The New York Times: Trump Defends Using ‘Chinese Virus’ Label, Ignoring Growing Criticism
President Trump on Wednesday defended his increasingly frequent practice of calling the coronavirus the “Chinese Virus,” ignoring a growing chorus of criticism that it is racist and anti-Chinese. “It’s not racist at all,” Mr. Trump said, explaining his rationale. “It comes from China, that’s why.” But the term has angered Chinese officials and a wide range of critics, and China experts say labeling the virus that way will only ratchet up tensions between the two countries, while resulting in the kind of xenophobia that American leaders should discourage. (Rogers, Jakes and Swanson, 3/18)
The Associated Press: Trump Dubs COVID-19 'Chinese Virus' Despite Hate Crime Risks
Among the hate crimes reported in major cities with Chinese communities: An Asian man in a Brooklyn subway car who was yelled at and sprayed with Febreze air freshener. In Los Angeles, a 16-year-old boy of Asian descent said other students had bullied him and accused him of carrying the virus. Even before cities began shutting down all restaurants to stop the spread of the virus, Chinese restaurant owners were already experiencing steep declines in business because of racial stigma. (Riechmann and Tang, 3/18)
The Washington Post: The Official White House Defense Of Labeling It ‘Chinese’ Coronavirus
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chief Robert Redfield agreed last week with a member of Congress that it was “absolutely wrong and inappropriate” to call the illness the “Chinese coronavirus." Rep. Judy Chu (D-Calif.), chairwoman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, told The Fix last week that the president needs to do away with language that stigmatizes Asian Americans. “He needs to make sure that everyone in this country is safe and secure and that we follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization and cannot create greater stigma and use the official term or covid-19. He seems to not be very concerned that there are these acts of xenophobia and scapegoating against Asian Americans.” (Scott, 3/18)
The New York Times: The President Vs. The Experts: How Trump Downplayed The Coronavirus
From the start of the coronavirus outbreak, statements from the presidential pulpit have been far out of step with those of health experts and many inside the administration. President Trump contradicted some officials while they were standing right next to him. Here is a sampling of what Mr. Trump has said compared with statements made by prominent officials. (Qiu, Marsh and Huang, 3/18)
