India Is Demanding Social Media Remove References to the ‘Indian Variant’ of COVID-19. But What Should It Be Called?

The Indian government is demanding that social media companies remove all references to the “Indian variant” of COVID-19—saying the term is not scientifically accurate and hurts the country’s image. Tech companies are unlikely to comply with the sweeping request, which would involve removing countless pieces of content including news articles. But it is bringing attention to the problem of how to refer to the COVID-19 variants that are driving many of the new outbreaks across the world without stoking racist or xenophobic sentiments. The demand also comes as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is embarking on a campaign to bring social media sites to heel—even as it grapples with the devastating impact a COVID-19 surge across India. Naming a virus The World Health Organization (WHO)’s 2015 guidelines warn against naming pathogens after the places where they originate because of a risk of stigmatizing the communities involved. Attacks on people of East Asian origin in the U.S. are rising—which many groups say is the result of former President Donald Trump and others insisting on calling COVID-19 the “China virus.” There are signs that news of India’s outbreak could be similarly sparking hate. Authorities in Singapore denounced an uptick in anti-Indian racism tied to India’s COVID-19 spike after a woman of Indian descent was assaulted there earlier this month. India’s Ministry of Electronics a...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized COVID-19 Explainer India Londontime overnight Source Type: news