Dianne Feinstein warns of ‘a rise in racism’ against Asian-Americans due to coronavirus
Racism toward Asian-Americans is growing because the coronavirus has its roots in China, Sen. Dianne Feinstein warned Monday.
The California Democrat cited “a rise in racism toward Asian-Americans because the virus is associated with China. This is unconscionable and it’s not the American way.”
And, she added, “People of all ages, races and ethnicities are susceptible to this disease. Bigotry toward any one group for a virus they have nothing to do with makes no sense.”
Feinstein listed a series of myths that have emerged as the virus spreads. One involved claims about China, while others dealt with other sources of misinformation.
For instance, she cited the claim that the coronavirus can be transmitted via mail from China.
Not so. The World Health Organization reports that “the coronavirus cannot survive for long on objects in the mail and it is safe to handle packages and letters from China,” Feinstein said.
Among the other myths:
▪ Surgical masks can prevent someone from getting coronavirus. The WHO has found such masks are not effective in stopping the transmission of the disease and should not be used by health people at this time.
▪ A vaccine or homeopathic cure can help prevent the virus’ spread. No, said Feinstein.
“There is currently no vaccine to prevent transmission of coronavirus, and WHO says the use of homeopathic substances to self-treat should be avoided.,” she said.
About one-third of the nation’s Asian-Americans live in California, where they make up about 16% of the state’s population, according to the Pew Research Center.
Six people have died in Washington state from the virus. Associated Press reported that the first U.S. case was a Washington state man who had visited China, where the virus first emerged, but several recent cases in the U.S. have had no known connection to travelers.
The virus first became evident in China’s Wuhan late last year. More than 86,500 people have been infected, most in China. It has not spread to an estimated 53 countries. More than 3,000 people have died.
The seasonal influenza epidemic kills about 0.1 percent of those who are infected. The new coronavirus seems more deadly because, out of every 100 confirmed cases, three to four people have died.
However, infectious disease experts say the actual mortality rate for coronavirus is likely much lower since many people can have the disease without showing symptoms. The New England Journal of Medicine has reported a mortality rate of 1.4 percent, but early reports out of Wuhan, China, put death rates at 2 percent. As scientists learn more about COVID-19, the mortality rate will become clear.
Cathie Anderson of The Sacramento Bee contributed to this report.
This story was originally published March 2, 2020 at 2:20 PM.
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