Coronavirus: discrimination against Asian-Americans raises risk treatment won’t be sought, doctor says
- ‘Those who are likely to be ill, they might delay seeking testing or care,’ a Harvard Medical School visiting scholar says
- An Asia Society discussion also includes a spokesperson for Stop AAPI Hate, which has received more than 750 reports of discrimination or attacks since March 19
A rise in discrimination against Asian-Americans in response to the US coronavirus outbreak raises risks for the broader community, a Harvard Medical School academic warned on Monday.
Discussing reports that Asians in the US had been shunned or attacked because of beliefs they had some connection to the origin of the new coronavirus, Leesa Lin, a visiting scholar at Harvard Medical School, said that such a backlash might prevent best health practices within this group.
“Those who are likely to be ill, they might delay seeking testing or care due to the fear of discrimination,” Lin said in an online discussion organised by the Asia Society. “Those who might be sick or healthy and thinking of putting on the mask, and in this case, are afraid to do so.
“This may not be helpful during an outbreak when we need everybody to cooperate in identifying potential cases during contact tracing and identifying outbreak in the community,” Lin, who is also an assistant professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said.
She added that targeting Asians also created “a false sense of security that others, based on their appearance alone, may be exempt from social distancing or physical distance in practice”.