Coronavirus: WHO official denounces stigmatising language such as that used by Donald Trump

‘It’s really important that we be careful in the language we use lest it lead to profiling of individuals associated with the virus,’ says Michael Ryan

The US president has defended his repeated use of the term ‘Chinese virus’

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US President Donald Trump delivers remakes on the Covid-19 pandemic during a Coronavirus Task Force briefing. Photo: EPA-EFE

Published: 6:18am, 19 Mar 2020Updated: 11:38pm, 19 Mar 2020

A top World Health Organisation (WHO) official on Wednesday condemned the use of language that could stigmatise certain ethnic groups over the coronavirus outbreak, as US President Donald Trump defended his adoption of the term “Chinese virus”.

“It’s really important that we be careful in the language we use lest it lead to profiling of individuals associated with the virus,” said Mike Ryan, the head of the WHO’s health emergency programmes. “This is just something we need to all avoid.”

As the Covid-19 pandemic, which has claimed nearly 9,000 lives, has swept through the world, verbal and physical attacks against ethnic Chinese people and others of East Asian descent have swelled.

On Tuesday, Weijia Jiang, a White House correspondent for CBS News, said an administration official had used the term “Kung-Flu” in front of her.

“I’m sure anyone would regret profiling a virus along an ethnic line,” Ryan, who did not mention Trump by name, said on Wednesday.

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