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Leading health and policy organizations, such as the WHO and CDC, have officially designated the coronavirus disease as COVID-19. Despite this, some individuals insist on labeling it with geographic terms like the “Chinese” virus. This approach is flawed and problematic for several reasons.
Historically, diseases were often named after their supposed places of origin, but this practice has proven to be misleading and inaccurate. For instance, the 1918 influenza pandemic was dubbed the “Spanish flu,” not because it originated in Spain, but because Spain’s uncensored media extensively reported on it during wartime. In reality, the virus likely emerged elsewhere, possibly in Kansas. A more precise name might have been the “American flu” or “Kansas flu.”
No region wants to be infamous as the birthplace of a disease, whether accurate or not. Consider the stigma associated with the Ebola river or the Zika forest. Linking a disease to a specific location can also hinder effective outbreak management. For example, during the 1900 plague outbreak in San Francisco’s Chinatown, anti-Chinese sentiment fueled discrimination, stigmatization, and ineffective health policies.
Anti-Chinese sentiments have also surfaced in discussions about the coronavirus. Prioritizing the containment of the disease is far more effective than fixating on its origin. The virus is indiscriminate; it can infect anyone, regardless of their background.
To address these concerns, the World Health Organization established guidelines a few years ago for naming diseases. These guidelines emphasize accuracy and aim to avoid stigmatizing individuals, places, or inciting fear. Diseases should now be named based on symptoms, characteristics, and known causes. COVID-19, which stands for 'coronavirus disease discovered in 2019,' is a fitting example. Here’s what they advise against:
Disease names should avoid referencing geographic locations (e.g., Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, Spanish Flu, Rift Valley fever), people’s names (e.g., Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Chagas disease), animal species or food (e.g., swine flu, bird flu, monkeypox), cultural, population, industry, or occupational terms (e.g., legionnaires), and fear-inducing language (e.g., unknown, fatal, epidemic).
While diseases were named in such ways historically, the public health community has since recognized the flaws in this approach and has moved away from it.
Anyone advocating for a geographically based disease name in 2020 is either unaware of this history (share this article with them!) or is intentionally promoting xenophobic attitudes. World leaders blaming each other for the virus is counterproductive. It’s simply a virus, and we should address it seriously by using its correct name.
