The symptoms of coronavirus to watch out for are fever, cough, shortness of breath, and an increase in xenophobia. As the virus has spread, so too have incidents of racism against Asians, and a rise in people avoiding Chinese restaurants and Asian-owned businesses.
In an effort to raise awareness and push back, the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice worked with Toronto-based agency The Hive on “Stop The Spread,” a campaign that includes handing out bottles of branded hand sanitizer on the streets of Toronto. Sure, the sanitizer keeps your hands clean, but it’s really aimed at getting people to consider their actions and attitude toward the Asian community.
“Globally, xenophobia and racism towards Chinese and other Asian communities have been on a rapid rise since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus,” says Amy Go, interim national president of the Chinese Canadian National Council for Social Justice in a statement. “This upswing of racism closely mirrors the racism experienced by Chinese in Canada during the 2003 SARS outbreak, and must be confronted.”
With reports of coronavirus-related racism also increasing in major American cities this week, this attitude sanitizer needs an international distributor.
“Residents and business owners here…have been bearing the brunt of racist and xenophobic backlash, as the novel coronavirus spreads and Asian Americans are unfairly targeted,” reports @IAmAmnaNawaz from San Francisco’s Chinatown https://t.co/ZGK0ocVSSg
— PBS NewsHour (@NewsHour) March 5, 2020
Here are the facts, as you reported them @nypost: a Manhattan woman contracted coronavirus in Iran. She's now quarantined at home…in Manhattan.
So why did you use a photo of an Asian man on a street in Flushing, Queens?
I'll tell you why: racism.
Do better. https://t.co/MNTIRAXqFv
— (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) March 3, 2020
What works in stopping the spread of Coronavirus:
1. Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds
2. Cough and sneeze into your elbow
3. Stay home if you're sickWhat doesn't work:
1. Racism https://t.co/wBrkkBe7yP— MTA (@MTA) March 5, 2020