COVID 19: A public health emergency, not a ‘war’

At a time of a pandemic, appropriate language is vital. What is said, how it is said and who says it all shape the conversation in today’s 24-hour news cycles and social media-driven world.

From early on, dealing with the novel coronavirus was framed in the language of war. This has consequences. Why, you may ask, is it any different from using phrases like ‘she’s battling cancer’. It’s different because of the sheer scale and the number of people who will have different reactions to that tone. 210 countries around the world (at last count) are dealing with the same health emergency at the same time. That too, a highly contagious one with no known cure or vaccine.

Framing it as a war only fans the flame for dangerous trends. Here are five that have been amplified over the last couple of months.

1.      Wars need an enemy – and that doesn’t remain the virus

A war on coronavirus is quickly becoming a war on patients (and suspected patients). Stigmatisation of those being treated, of doctors and nurses is on the rise. There have been instances of attacks even at funerals and refusal to claim bodies of relatives who have passed away.

It has also become an excuse for underlying xenophobia, racism and fear of minorities to find a new outlet. This has manifested itself in different ways. African-Americans in the USA, for example, fear wearing a face mask in a grocery store will get them stopped by the police. Across India, minorities have become the scapegoat for spreading the virus. In several countries, Chinese restaurants and people of Chinese descent have been targeted. Hate speech is on the rise and fault lines deepening. The viciousness and distrust have become so rampant in certain areas it is actively stoking communal divisions.

2.      Being seen to ‘win’ becomes more important than scientific facts

In initial days, fears that more testing will mean higher numbers was actually being used as an excuse for not doing it. Around the globe, many press conferences about the virus have distinctly political messages, rather than health ones. Instead of putting out clear and consistent fact-based communication, the conversation is tweaked to suggest ‘wins’. 

Anything that goes against this rhetoric is put under a cloud. Don’t question. Don’t delve into decision-making. Don’t go public with grievances you are having with testing (or lack thereof), the state of quarantine centres or hospitals. Why? This is a war the country is fighting and you are making us look bad. More and more, the voices of people asking questions and stating facts get muted.

3.      Rights are sharply curtailed

In the name of battle, citizens are expected to give up rights without question. Those who have the means may look at the fine print and object, but the majority of the population has no choice. From surveillance to data collection to the complete lack of dignity in how you’re treated. In the same vein, excesses by law enforcement (and self-appointed vigilantes) are supported and justified.

4.      War seems to justify ‘collateral damage’

The singular focus on winning the war means losing sight of nuances. From the plight of migrant workers and those earning a daily wage to the rise of domestic abuse cases; from the strategies for compassionate care to the invasion of privacy. Thinking from different perspectives and dealing with these varied nuances is limited. Hardships that are actually caused by bad planning are somehow justified away as the only option.  

5.      Painting essential workers as ‘warriors’ hides sad realities

A majority of these essential workers – sanitation workers, hospital ward staff, grocery store clerks, delivery people, packers at warehouses, health extension workers – are badly paid and barely respected. They do not have the option of staying at home. They need to work to be able to live day to day. If they get sick, they fear for their jobs and can’t provide for their families. 

Designating them as soldiers and warriors means taking away an entire part of the story. It builds a narrative that they are meant to sacrifice, to take any risk thrown at them without complaint. There are so many examples of clapping for doctors and nurses, but they are still left without essential protective gear. For the rest of the essential workers, that respect and protection is even more minimal. They are just doing their jobs in extremely difficult circumstances. They need pay hikes, equipment and respect, not deification.     

All of these trends have a common thread – an eroding of trust (at least among a large section of the population). Ironically, that is the one key to dealing with a public health emergency - belief in the system, the officials and the science. As actual conflict zones begin seeing cases rise, let’s hope this not framed as another war for them as well. Rather may it truly be ‘we are all in this together’.