Imagine how Mr Wu, with all those epithets attached to his name, was made to feel. It was sad to read about how he calculated and investigated whether he was really “patient zero”. It is clear that the label – which tacitly holds him liable for the loss of at least seven lives – affected him deeply.

“Patient zero” or not, the fact is that Mr Wu is also a victim of Covid-19; he too contracted the virus from someone else and his life was also at risk. More importantly, Mr Wu did not board the ship with significant Covid-19 symptoms.

It is unfair for him to be bullied and blamed for contracting an infectious disease: this is victim-blaming.

Tiffany Choi, Fanling

Stop using Covid-19 to make scapegoats of Asians

Ever since Covid-19 began to spread across the world, Chinese and other Asians have come to be ridiculed and abused by ignorant Westerners under the influence of biased information. So far, it has not been conclusively proven that the virus even originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan.

The interview with the patient should be widely publicised to clear his name. This is an opportunity to let Westerners know it is extremely unfair to treat Chinese or Asians as the scapegoats amid this pandemic.

Also, it is about time the Hong Kong government stepped up its public relations strategy.

Tina Niem, Repulse Bay

No surprise that China rushed to Italy’s aid

In the 1980s, Italy helped Sichuan province set up its largest medical emergency centre, and doctors from Chongqing received emergency medical training in Italy. This was long before China became an economic powerhouse and was a big helping hand from Italy. Then in 2008, Italian emergency workers helped to rescue hundreds of trapped survivors after the devastating May 12 earthquake. At least five members of the Chinese medical team that went to Italy last week are from Sichuan.

Randy Lee, Ma On Shan