Letters | Coronavirus fears exposing the good, bad and ugly in people

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Face masks on young and old, on the streets of Hong Kong on January 31. People around the the region wear masks not only to protect themselves but also to prevent spreading disease. Photo: AP

Published: 8:25am, 9 Feb 2020Updated: 8:25am, 9 Feb 2020

I refer to the important matter addressed in Alice Wu’s opinion column (“China coronavirus outbreak: the plague of fear and prejudice could be just as lethal”, February 3).

This outbreak is showing two distinct sides to people’s characters. On the one hand, Wuhan residents, who remain under lockdown, shout words of encouragement from their windows to their neighbours. On the other hand, we see many blaming one ethnicity for this health crisis, claiming that is the result of Chinese (bad) habits and lack of hygiene.

First, previous pandemics have originated in different locations, some of which affected far larger numbers than this (as of today at least).

Secondly, there are examples of good habits in this side of the world that had /have no parallel in other parts of the globe – for instance, those who suspect they are sick wear masks out of respect for other people’s health.

Deep down, it is painful to see that some people still do not understand that, irrespective of our eyes and skin colour, we are all part of the same humanity.

This does not mean we should not strive to find the cause of this outbreak and address it. But if there is one thing this crisis is showing, it is the need for a globally coordinated response – from prevention to cure, we are stronger united.

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.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Coronavirus fears exposing the good, bad and ugly in people

Letters | Coronavirus fears exposing the good, bad and ugly in people