COVID-19, Coronavirus, Wuhan Virus, or China Virus? Understanding how to “Do No Harm" when naming an infectious disease

• Main Authors: MASTERS-WAAGE, Theodore C., JHA, Nilotpal, REB, Jochen
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2020
• Subjects: China Virus; coronavirus; COVID-19; pandemics; psychology of naming; public messaging; sinophobia; Wuhan Virus; Organizational Behavior and Theory; Public Health; Social Psychology
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6686; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/7685/viewcontent/Naming_covid_2020_pvoa.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

When labeling an infectious disease, officially sanctioned scientific names, e.g., “H1N1 virus,” are recommended over place-specific names, e.g., “Spanish flu.” This is due to concerns from policymakers and the WHO that the latter might lead to unintended stigmatization. However, with little empirical support for such negative consequences, authorities might be focusing on limited resources on an overstated issue. This paper empirically investigates the impact of naming against the current backdrop of the 2019-2020 pandemic.