Canada learned a lot from the SARS crisis about how to deal with an outbreak of infectious disease, and it shows in how our public health officials are reacting to the coronavirus. That’s the risk that fear of coronavirus will spread faster than the disease itself, and that the fact it originates in China will rebound against Chinese communities in Canada. Entire communities were unfairly associated with the spread of a disease they had nothing to do with. YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN...Actually, yes, you can, and this kind of appeal feeds a generalized fear that isn’t warranted by what the public health experts are telling us. The York board is right to push back, by saying that it’s vital to avoid “any hint of xenophobia” in reacting to the coronavirus.

Source: thestar January 28, 2020 21:39 UTC